Forests of Eternity
by ChargingForwardBlind
Summary: In the darkness of the Hamalonian Forest, dark secrets lurk, and the ham-hams prepare to face their most dangerous foe - or foes - that may be more than mortal. T to be safe! Last installment in The Guardian Trilogy.
1. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**CFB: **And so...the final installment of the Guardian Trilogy has begun. Welcome...to Forests of Eternity! And sorry it's late. Really...I'm a bum. But, through all the stress of senior year, I've managed to get this done and I hope you readers like it!

This time around, I am not acting alone. My co-collaborator/conspirator is **Theta Jones**. He's helped me figure out a lot of plot (haha, that rhymes) and has also contributed three OC's to this fic, and he'll also be writing certain parts. As soon as his characters make their appearance, I'll let you all know which ones they are. Thank you, Theta! :D His efforts with this project are much appreciated!

And a special thanks to **sandyandmaxwellfanatic**, for previewing this for me and helping me get it ready for posting - and giving me a little insight. Thanks sxmfan! :)

_**Full Summary: **_Beneath the shadowy canopies of a forbidden forest, dark secrets lie. A tribe of hamsters in the Hamalonian Forest need help to stop a savage beast that has been terrorizing the local villagers, sent by an unknown paw. Two warriors boldly venture out to find brave heroes...and that's where the ham-hams step in to lend a paw once again! One ham-ham needs a vacation and steps aside, giving the spotlight to the other hams as they take a trip deep into a forest that time forgot to cure a horrible imbalance between the reality and myth. Someham has summoned a terrible power to open a permanent gate to the spirit world - which could mean the end of all hamkind! Ancient secrets are revealed, and the ham-hams encounter their very first enemy who may be more than mortal - and the ham who called him forth. It's going to take a lot to stop an undead High Priest, a motivated manipulator, and the powers of the spirit-realm! It may take a little magic, flying feathers, and a mysterious melody...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, or any of its characters. I own most characters and ideas not related to the original Hamtaro franchise, save for those that were created by Theta Jones.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue:** _Something Wicked This Way Comes_

Twilight in the Hamalonian Forest was a wondrous sight to behold. Through the dense cover of the trees, the pink-grey sky could be seen giving way to nightfall, the early twinkling of premature stars accompanying the gradual decline of day. The members of the Hamstala tribe, in particular, had an excellent view of the twilight sky from their glorious ham-made village in the center of the vast forest, and there was no better place to watch the day come to a close than in the beautiful garden on the outskirts of Hamstala, where, amidst the lush flowers, two hamsters sat in chairs woven from the strongest blades of grass, a wooden table with two leaf cups of piping hot herbal tea between them, staring up at the sky wordlessly, basking in the beauty of fading daylight.

"It's a wonderful night."

One hamster, a pure-white male with deep, thoughtful violet eyes, remarked in an airy sort of tone, as if he didn't particularly care who heard him or if anyone even replied. A chain of flowers, ranging from a floaty orange to a soft pink, encircled his neck and he had a small, dreamy smile on his face, as if perpetually lost in thought.

The other hamster, female nodded her head gently at his words after taking a sip of her steaming tea. She replied, in a light, feathery voice, "Indeed, Florian. The air is calm, and the sky is content - a peaceful transition from the sun to the moon..." Her fur was dark grey in color, but she had black ears and two black markings that looked like wings upon her back. A purple headband, was tied around her head, with a sleek raven's feather tucked carefully into it. Her color was so different from the male's, they looked like they would be total opposites, although they appeared to get along quite well.

"Peaceful transition..." The male hamster, Florian, echoed, his smile widening slightly. "I couldn't agree more. You know, I've always admired how the sun never battles with the moon for dominance, and vice versa. While the tribes in the forest feud constantly over land and power, the sun and the moon can live in perfect symbiosis, like sisters, sharing the same sky...how odd!" He chuckled, brushing a paw against a nearby orange hibiscus that had drooped slightly.

The female smiled as well, a faint twinkle of humor in her mellow hazel eyes. "You should think of becoming a member of the council, Florian. Your wisdom exceeds those of most of the hamsters already _on_ it, especially _these _days..."

Florain leaned back against his chair and closed his vibrant eyes, a sigh escaping slowly through his pink nose. Absently, he began to fiddle with a red band of cloth that was tied comfortably around his wrist - an identical band tied around the female's wrist as well, indicating some kind of deep bond between them.

"My musings are for you, me, and the flowers, Ravyn. You know very well that the council does not find my 'wisdom' as amusing as you do."

The female, Ravyn, lightly shrugged her shoulders, a complacent smile on her face. Quietly, she remarked, turning her hazel eyes to the darkening sky, "Times in the tribe are changing, Florian. Soon enough, the council will see that alternative viewpoints must be heard if the Hamstala are to survive for much longer. Already, change has been set in motion and they refuse to acknowledge the idea that we may need to adapt accordingly..."

A gentle breeze caressed their fur, and brushed the numerous flowers surrounding them like a passing hand. Both hamsters closed their eyes, and felt the wind against their fur, savoring the feeling and the moment, despite its regularity. A comfortable silence settled between them, so neither really felt the desire to come up with a topic of conversation - they were fine to just sit there, in the beautiful moments of pending night, enjoying each other's company and the peace of the trees that loomed high over them, like watchful, sturdy guardians, standing over the luxurious garden and the village only a few feet away, protecting them all from harm.

"I feel something in the wind shifting, Florian..." Ravyn observed after a moment of peace, breaking their silence.

The male smiled faintly, his paw dangling over the edge of his arm-rest, just enough so that it grazed Ravyn's paw gently in assurance.

"A sure sign that times _are _changing...right, Ravyn?"

The dark-furred hamgirl hummed a little, but her eyes narrowed, as she stared off into the dimness of the trees surrounding them, leaning forward slightly, looking for something in the forest. Florian, sensing her shift in mood, straightened in his chair and peered at her quizzically. When he saw the expression on her face, a cross between contemplation and paralyzing fear, the fur on the back of his neck stood at attention, and he felt his blood run cold in his veins. All of a sudden, the luscious garden surrounding them seemed to grow chillier, like some invisible frost had settled over everything. Florian's voice fell below a whisper.

"....Ravyn?"

* * *

"You know brother, things around here have been pretty tense lately...the council disagrees on everything, so it's pretty much been divided into two factions, and Chief Mael is too scared to pick sides...what's a Captain of the Guard to do, huh?"

By the carved wooden entrance gate to the Hamstala Village, where legends of the tribe had been engraved for posterity, a little ways away from the sleepy village itself, a solid brown hamster, wearing a multicolored feather headdress, stood with a sharp spear held tightly in his paw, a lone red feather tied near the point. His bright green eyes glowed in the light of fading day, and the orange-gold hue also accentuated the lines of red war-paint that were drawn downward under each eye, a tribute to his Hamstala heritage. A weary smile dressed his face as he looked out into the dark, surrounding woods, watching for any sign of danger, though the trees were solemn and silent.

"Things really aren't the same around here anymore, brother..." The hamster spoke, though there was no other ham around to hear him. He let out a deep sigh, and scratched idly behind his left ear, continuing, even if no one appeared to be listening, "Not only is the council fighting, but the Hamaranian Tribe to the East and the Hamoux Tribe across the river are threatening war on us...claiming we have been stealing supplies, and even hamnapping members of their village! Crazy, isn't it?"

There was no response, save for the whisper of the wind as it fluttered by him, tickling a few of the feathers in his headdress so they caught the light and shone like sunbeams. Stifling a yawn, the brown-furred hamster turned his friendly, but tired green eyes to the gap in the canopies above, where he could see that now, the sky had gone from golden-orange to pinkish grey, and he could even pick out several of the stars, ready to decorate the inky blackness of night. The beauty of the Hamalonian Forest never ceased to amaze him...and, despite the inner-problems plaguing the Hamstala Tribe, he knew that he could always rely on the forest itself, as well as the wondrous sky, for some constancy and peace.

"I'm telling you, brother..." The hamster went on, keeping the spear firmly beside him, even if there wasn't an enemy in sight. "....You would be quite sad, to see what things have come to."

"Alvar!"

The brown-furred hamster, startled by the sound of a voice behind him, whirled around to see who had called. Running up the dirt path was another hamster, slightly younger, his fur mostly white, save for a few splashes of sepia-brown; notably, his ears, two wing-like markings on his back, and a marking that looked like an 'X' running across his face. A forest-green headband was tied around his head, into which a small hawk feather had been tucked. His eyes were a shade of grey-green; and currently shining with a sense of urgency and panic that he was trying to suppress as he ran.

"Alvar! Alvar! I just spoke with Ravyn - !"

Out of breath, the hamster skidded to a stop beside the brown-furred hamster, Alvar. Green-grey eyes frenzied and wild heavily and stammering, trying to get out some coherent sentences, though all he could do was gasp and wheeze, the hawk feather in his headband drooping slightly. He was either suffering from a panic attack, or had just heard earth-shattering news of some kind - Alvar wasn't quite sure, but he hoped for the former.

"Hawke!" Alvar exclaimed, planting his paws on the other ham's shoulders, trying to calm him down. "Settle _down_! You'll disturb the rest of the village, and they'll think that something is wrong! Everyone is on edge enough as it is, these days, we don't need any more cause for worry!"

The other hamster, Hawke, took a moment to calm himself, closing his greenish eyes and drawing in deep, soothing breaths, Alvar releasing his shoulders as he gradually reverted from his panicked state. Once his muscles had unclenched and his breathing had resumed its normal pace, Hawke looked with somber eyes to a concerned Alvar and spoke clearly, now able to form a decipherable sentence,

"I just spoke with Ravyn...she was sitting in the gardens with that doofus Florian when she got another one of her 'feelings'...only this time, she says it's _serious_."

Alvar's bright green eyes widened, and he felt his paw involuntarily tighten around his spear, as if to protect it. "Serious..._how_?" He asked, though the grim look on Hawke's face was enough of an answer for him, and it made a chill slither up his spine.

A breeze ruffled by them, caressing their fur and gently tousling the feathers of Alvar's headdress and Hawke's lone hawk feather, as both males turned to stare out uncertainly into the dark mouth of the mysterious Hamalonian Forest just beyond the entrance gates. Hawke's green-grey eyes narrowed, his mouth pursed into a straight firm line. Alvar gulped, glancing at Hawke out of the corner of his eye and suggesting weakly, as if he didn't even believe the possibility,

"...Maybe she was mistaken?"

Hawe shook his head. "You know as well as I do, Alvar, that Ravyn is _never _mistaken. She is the closest thing we have to a priestess, and her spiritual sense is frighteningly accurate, considering the time we live in. Her _sight _is in synch with the _other _world. And she senses that something....something _big_....is about to emerge."

Alvar felt the fur on the back of his neck stand on end as the weight of Hawke's words fell on his shoulders. "...Emerge?" He questioned quietly, trying to shake his nerves by glaring out into the blackness of the trees, as if to frighten away any invisible foes or monsters that may have been lurking, waiting to strike. "What do you mean...._emerge_?"

Hawke looked to his hammo with a mixture of worry and solemnity in his green-grey eyes, and Alvar felt his stomach drop, and an immense cloud of dread washed over the two, seeping into their spirits and dampening whatever cheer they had previously felt. Again they turned their eyes to the darkness of the trees that surrounded their cozy village, their tall trunks and winding branches no longer resembling watchful guardians, but, instead, looming creatures of a more sinister nature, as the stars twinkled down at them teasingly, like they knew some fearful secret, kept hidden in the now dark-grey sky that hung overhead. Hawke's sigh escaped his lips like a dying firefly, devoid of all hope.

"....I think you _know _what I mean."

* * *

It was the pinnacle of nightfall when she began the ceremony.

The abandoned temple was large - enough to hold the nine supporters she had left, anyway - and time had not treated the sacred ground well as it had become just another part of the forest. Velvet moss and dark ivy clung to the cracked walls and dislodged stones littered around the vast room, the once brightly-painted symbols on the floor faded and dulled with years of neglect. Withered leaves decorated the ground, and a fine layer of dust had settled over every possible surface, giving the once vibrant temple a grey, dismal appearance. She looked around the massive room with eager blue eyes, her pawsteps echoing as she tread onto ground that had not been touched for generations, the dense air thick with memories of hamsters she had never known. Her hooded black cape left a trail through the dust, showing where she had disturbed the timelessness. The silver moon filtered light in through several small windows carved out of the yellow stone, brightening the place a bit, but it still did little to give the place a sense of life it hadn't known for countless years.

She sniffed the air, swept her blue eyes around the room as if to survey it, and smirked, holding the ancient, weathered book in one paw at her side. The place, aged and beautiful, was _perfect_, in her opinion.

"This will do nicely..." She murmured, brushing a stray strand of dark grey fur from her vivid blue eyes. "In fact...I couldn't have asked for a better base of operations...." Seemingly satisfied, she placed the book carefully on the dusty floor, and as she leaned over, the moonlight struck the locket that hung around her neck, and made it shine like a beacon through the darkness, a solitary symbol of life in the empty, grey temple. Flashes of gold swirled throughout the room as the locket turned, caught in the moonlight, like a butterfly in a net of gold.

Turning around toward the open door that allowed only minimal light in, she yelled, "Maka! Come here! It's time!"

There was a brief silence, but she waited, flipping through the dusty, yellowed pages of the book until she found the right one, patting it with her paw as a small smile spread across her face. Absently, she raised her other paw to gently touch the golden locket encircling her neck, and a distant cloudiness came across her face, something like anticipation mixed with affection swirling in the cerulean depths of her eyes.

"Soon....soon, my greatest wish will be realized..." She murmured softly, the harsh expression of her face fading momentarily, almost looking as if she were a completely different hamster.

The nostalgic look vanished in an instant, however, when the sound of pawsteps was heard, and she whirled around to see a meek, timid-looking hamster stepping shakily into the temple, dark eyes flitting anxiously around the dust-kissed, ominous room. A thin black cloak adorned the hamster's shoulders, his fur a ruddy-brown in color, and he seemed reluctant to leave the moonlight behind in favor of the consuming shadows that engulfed the temple.

"Y-uh...y-yes? T-time for what, mistress?" The timid hamster asked, staying a good two feet away from the female at all times, as she turned away from him, and her blue eyes continued to scan eagerly over the book under her paws. Gulping, the hamster, Maka, crept two steps forward, his shoulders trembling. "...I...I have come as you called...."

"I can _see _that..." She replied dryly, rolling her eyes and turning to face him again, eyes steely and arms crossed over her chest. She stood defiantly, staring at the cowering Maka, and he couldn't bring himself to make eye contact as he kept his dark brown eyes focused on the stone floor beneath his shuddering feet. Neither said a word, and it appeared as if the long silence, chilling in the atmosphere of the hollow temple, was taking a toll on Maka's nerves, whereas the female appeared completely unaffected, cool and composed.

At last, she spoke up, making Maka jump. She had begun to pace, her pawsteps light as she walked back and forth, in front of the open book resting on the floor. "When you joined me, Maka...you told me that it was because you wanted to see your wife again, correct?" She asked airily, as if keeping a casual conversation.

Maka felt a chill slither up his spine, but a few of his nerves fled him. Swallowing his courage, the mud-furred hamster answered, straightening from his cowering position and managing some mild control over his stutter, "Yes, mistress....I joined you because I felt that you could help me, when no one else could...I just want to be with my wife again...and I've been one of your most loyal followers, all this time..." He added in, as if to remind her of his support.

She grinned, and let out a soft, feathery chuckle. Her eyes softened somewhat, like a glacier being warmed by the sun, and a small smile dressed her lips, as if she were trying to lighten the mood. "And your desire to be reunited with your wife is what has kept you with me all this time, Maka? Am I correct?"

"Yes, mistress..." Maka replied, brow furrowing slightly, as if he were confused. Nervously, he fiddled with his thin black cloak, which had begun to fray at the ends, a result of dragging it across the jungle floor each day. "I....I loved her so very much, and I...you said that you'd...be able to bring her back to me. It's...it's all I want, mistress."

The room fell silent. Maka, frightened that he had offended her, quickly added, "It was just...such a kind promise for you to make. And I wholeheartedly believe in what...what you've been trying to do, mistress..." He babbled, dark eyes wide, as the female turned her back on him, her manner not betraying her emotions.

Once he had finished rambling, a thick silence settled. Beads of sweat broke out in the fur on Maka's forehead. He had been following her for years, believing in what she claimed could become the new reality...but he was never at ease in her presence. She emanated an air of coldness - a distant, icy demeanor that made her seem untouchable, and she spoke little to her followers, only revealing what she had to in order to keep them with her. And her eyes, such a rich, but glacial blue, like two piercing pieces of sky - he could never bring himself to look into them, nor could he ever avoid being terrified by the smirk she wore, whenever she wasn't deep in thought - a secretive smirk, as though she knew that a certain horror was about to come, and she was the only one who knew when it would strike.

She was a leader with a motive that drove her relentlessly toward her goal, though no one knew the specific details of the motive. All they knew was that she was willing to do anything to achieve what she was striving for, and that was what made her the perfect, if frightening, leader. Though it was somewhat terrifying - it was never known what she was thinking, for the complexities of her mind were a mystery, but they were compelled to follow her all the same.

As the silence drew on, the hamgirl gradually crossed the vast room, keeping her back to Maka all the while. He watched, unnerved, as she stood before the far wall, at a once brilliant painting of something - he couldn't decipher what it was, as it was covered with a sheet of dark, clinging ivy. He was about to speak, to say anything to fill the silence, when she reached forward and tore down the ivy, with one fluid motion, so the grasping vines fell to the floor like shriveled snakes, revealing the faded picture that lay beneath.

The painting on the wall, centuries old, was of a Hamstala Priest - likely the Head Priest, judging by the traditional feather-necklace he wore, the staff in his paws, and the two feathers, one black and one white, tucked behind his ears - looking like he was ready to perform an ancient ceremony. For a priest he was moderately young, though a few wrinkles creased his face, a result of stressful years of practicing in the temple. The fur on his face was dark grey, the remaining fur a light, soft tan color. His robes were a rich, lustrous crimson, extravagant for the times, and he held the very same book that currently lay on the temple floor in his weathered paws. The expression on his face was one of stern concentration. His eyes, however, were a striking green, as bright as lush grass, and despite the fact that it was merely a portrait, the eyes of the hamster seemed to be alive, and burning with power.

Maka felt his heart quicken. "M-mistress?" He questioned meekly, unsure why she was showing him this picture of a dead priest - the tribe he had come from, the Hamstala, had given up using priests and temples ages before, hence the poor state of their current location...

She did not immediately answer his call. Briskly, she turned from the portrait, still not looking up at Maka, and returned to the book in the center of the floor. Brushing a paw against the page, she at last spoke again, though she deviated from the original topic,

"...Most hamsters believe that, when they die, that is the end. They journey to the spirit realm, are reunited with those that they've lost over the years, and never return to the world of the living to be with those they left behind. Would you agree with this, Maka?"

Maka gulped, unsure of what she was trying to say. "Well...y-yes, mistress, that sounds like a good assumption..."

She continued, not caring whether he had finished speaking or not, "However, there was one nameless High Priest, many generations ago, who died an angry, bitter death at the paws of his followers, who rebelled against his beliefs. He believed that in order to preserve the traditions of the Hamstala tribe for eternity, it was necessary to create a door to the spirit realm from the world of the living, to connect the two, and keep the past forever entwined with the present. However, great measures would need to be taken for such a thing to occur - measures that were never recorded, so we can only speculate what they were - and he was killed for heresy, as it was a crime to think that both worlds could ever be united in such a way..."

The hood of her cloak hid her face, but Maka could tell that the hamgirl was smirking. She continued, unwavering, "But the High Priest knew that his doom was near, and predicted that someday, he would return to make what he desired, a permanent door from the spirit realm to the world of the living, come into fruition. The priest's soul, as with other mystics, was tied deeply to the spirit realm, and every now and then he spoke of flashes, or visions, where he could see snippets of what was to come in his mind's eye...and before he was beheaded, the High Priest claimed, '_I will be back, and when that happens, neither bow, nor spear, nor club will keep the inevitable at bay, and I _will _have my revenge_.'"

Maka felt a chill slither up his spine. He didn't like the sound of this High Priest, and was rather glad that the hamster was dead, though he found it quite difficult to remain calm under the piercing green eyes of the ham painted on the wall, now. However, what the hamgirl said next made his blood run cold, mottled with fear, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers,

"Many hams considered it an empty threat, but his return is _not _out of the question. Because he was already deeply tied to the spirit realm prior to his death, he has powers that normal hamsters can only dream of. And since he saw the end of his life coming, he prepared this book for that moment, in the future, when he would make his triumphant return..." She stroked the pages of the book with the back of her paw. "After his death, this book was confiscated and kept under lock and key for centuries, guarded by the Chief of the Hamstala Tribe, and then the next, in succession. But now...it has fallen into _useful _paws."

Maka, stiff with fear, blurted out in horror, as the weight of her words collapsed on him, "You're not...you're not thinking of trying to bring this High Priest back, are you, mistress!?"

She chuckled dryly, confirming his fears. "You sound surprised..." She remarked, offhand, unaffected by his incredulity.

"He...he sounds like a terrible fellow, though..." Maka finished weakly, realizing that when arguing with the leader, especially one like _her_, he didn't have a paw to stand on.

Unruffled, she explained, "Weren't you _listening_, Maka? A door from the spirit realm to the world of the living - that is what the High Priest, the one in _that _painting - " She pointed at the painting on the far wall, which gazed sternly back at her. " - desired. And that's precisely what _we _desire. Mystics have ceased to exist in our bloodlines, and links to the spirit world are few and far between in present times. Anyone can read out of a book and make a few simple things happen, as I've done in the past, but that is all child's play. Bringing back such a strong link may be exactly what we need to achieve all that we've longed for - and what we need to end our suffering."

Maka saw her point instantly, but couldn't help the chill that tickled his shoulders. It sounded so perfect, but he still felt a nagging feeling, in the back of his head, that there was something that wasn't quite adding up, or something that he was missing...something between the calculating blue of his mistress's eyes, and the sharp green of the painting of the dead High Priest's. And he didn't like it, whatever it was, even though she made it sound as if everything was adding up to equal the ends that he had longed for....a reunion with his wife....she had died so young, and all he wanted was to see her again, and hold her paw...

"Now then, shall we begin?"

Her words brought Maka crashing back to reality. "B-begin? He spluttered, bewilderedly still trying to shake the nervous feeling that bit at his mind. "Begin what, mistress?"

Again, she rolled her vibrant eyes. "The ceremony..." she replied bluntly, as she hovered over the open book at her feet and scanned the pages with zealous eyes. "To bring about a _new _beginning."

Instantly, it was as if there was another presence in the room, watchful, but silent, lurking in the darkest corners of the shadows. The jungle outside the windows fell eerily quiet, in anticipation of something that was to come - not even an owl's hoot could be heard. Maka felt all of his fear center in his back, and he was unable to move - he was too scared, too petrified to do anything but stare as the hamgirl closed her eyes, concentrating deeply, and gently caressed the locket round her neck again, as Maka often saw her do with no explanation. The air seemed to be buzzing faintly, as some kind of prelude for a much larger presentation.

"Maka...bring me the subject."

Maka, frozen solid, was barely able to stammer, his muddy fur drenched with sweat. "W-what? W-why do you need me to bring a s-s-subject, mistress?"

With sharp, frosted blue eyes, she shifted her gaze to her loyal follower and remarked, keeping her voice even, despite the biting words she used, "Why? Because if you don't, then you'll never see your precious wife again and it will be all _your _fault. And I don't think you _want _that, Maka. I _really _don't think you want that."

The nervous hamster considered that, and, despite the fears jumbled in his stomach like a bird caught in a thornbush, he tentatively took a pawstep toward the door. His pawsteps light and shaky, he gradually made his way, reminding himself, whenever he felt like turning back, that he was doing all of this for his wife - all he wanted was to be reunited with her, even if it did mean resurrecting a terrifying High Priest that had been dead for hundreds of years...all of it would be worth it, when he felt her warm paws on his face again. As he walked, Maka managed to smile a small, but firm smile, and his eyes began to regain some shine.

"For Manea..." He whispered his beloved wife's name as he broke into a run, and bolted out the door of the temple, scurrying down the eroded stairs, and then plunging into the underbrush of the dense forest.

He returned a few moments later, carrying a hamster with cream-colored fur, teenage by the look of him, whose limbs were bound by strong rope and tape had been slapped across his mouth, showing that he was most likely a captive. However, there was little need for the binding, as the hamster appeared to be unconscious, lost in some deep slumber, and Maka carried him over his shoulder like a sack of sunflower seeds. The cream-furred ham had a dark blue bandana tied around his wrist; signifying that he was a member of the Hamoux Tribe, from the eastern banks of the Hamaryx River. The hamgirl, deep in concentration at this point, managed to order sternly, "Place him in the center of the temple, Maka."

Maka listened. He trotted to the center of the temple, where there was a circular carving in the floor, and he set the sleeping subject down on the floor, where he rested like a limp, lifeless rag doll. Deed done, Maka trotted toward the wall, taking refuge near the entrance of the temple. The furs on the back of his neck were standing at attention, as he could sense something ominous - and almost wicked - stirring in the calm night air.

The hamgirl, positioned about a foot away from the unconscious subject with her book, smirked under her hood, and set to work. The unknowing pawn was in play...all that was left was to revive the king, so that her dreams would be realized. She did so hate getting her paws dirty, when there was normally another ham she could convince to act for her...but _some _things, she felt, were best left in her own paws, lest her plan be foiled...and her plan could _not _be foiled, not even in the slightest.

Maka watched as the circular carvings on the floor, which branched out like ripples from the center where the subject sat in the center of the temple, began to glow a bright, ethereal blue, as the hamgirl, piercing eyes glued to the book beneath her paws, began to chant some words from the ancient Hamstala language, that had long since been eradicated. Obviously, she had begun the ceremony - keeping in perfect concentration and chanting in perfect rhythm, never missing a beat or a word. The room began to pulse with the floaty blue light, and soon enough, the glow had reached the painting of the High Priest on the wall, until it shone like a beacon, almost alive, as if it were trying to burst free from the wall. Maka felt a sense of both fear and awe overtake him...he could feel a powerful spirit energy lingering in the air, sparking on the ends of his fur like cerulean electricity, and he felt a wind, kicked up out of nowhere, swirling around him in some kind of miniature cyclone, making his cloak fly up over his head. The subject's fur was being ruffled and tousled, but he remained comatose. Something, something powerful had been set in motion - Maka had never been a part of such a ceremony before, and he could feel an odd, prickling sensation all over his body, as if some of his fur had been replaced with needles.

The subject, unaware of what was being done, began to glow with brilliant blue light. The hamgirl forged ahead, as if the hamster in the center of the temple was an object, rather than a living thing.

Excited and terrified both at what he was witnessing, Maka listened as the hamgirl continued to chant the ancient language. Over the now roaring wind, he was only able to catch some of what she was saying, and could only understand a few words here and there...the words he did recognize were still fairly commonplace, even though the language was dead...such as the word for '_death_' and the word for '_spirit_' and '_light_'...

...and '_sacrifice_.'

All at once, the ceremony seemed to halt. Maka, for a split-second while the ceremony had paused, looked wide-eyed to his mistress, and the cunning smirk on her face and the distant coldness of her eyes enough to make him realize the worst.

His eyes widened and his jaw fell open. The subject's eyes were still closed, and he would not be able to see his fate coming. Her voice clear and unmoved, the hamgirl spoke.

"I hope the spirit world treats you well."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a beam of brilliant, surging blue light shot up from the center of the temple floor, beneath the subject, and the unknowing hamster was engulfed in the current - a sacrifice, obliterated from the world of the living in less than a second. The beam of light hurtled up through the hole in the ceiling, where it strived to touch the moon, and filled the room with a buzzing energy, and waves of light radiated from the beam, bringing along sharp gusts of wind that blew the hood from her ears and brushed away all the dust, but could not wipe away her smirk. Maka, petrified with fear, staggered backwards and collapsed on the floor, his eyes wide and face frozen into an expression of pure terror. The shock of what had happened overwhelmed him, and he slumped against stone, in a dead faint.

She watched, book now held at her side, as a figure emerged from the pillar of blue light, where the subject had been. His robes were still a vibrant crimson, his dark-grey and tan fur sleek, the feather-necklace, the staff in his paws, and the two feathers, black and white, tucked behind each ear, were all unchanged - but it was the distinct frigidity of his green eyes that were the most unnerving, and the most like the painting that depicted his visage. It was like countless years had never passed, and a portal in time had been opened in the center of the floor. The only indication that he was _not _a normal ham was the fact that, when regarded closely, he was somewhat translucent, and he floated at least a centimeter off the ground, gliding rather than walking. Otherwise, he was an ageless photograph - the very picture of the forgotten past of the Hamstala Tribe. There was an intimidating wave of spiritual power emanating from the ghostly figure.

The High Priest, as he had predicted upon his death hundreds of years before, had made his triumphant return.

He drifted forward, as if carried by a breeze, and once he had emerged fully from the bright blue beam of light, it evaporated, and all effects of the ceremony stopped, as if he had willed it to do so. The temple became still once more, though the air still hummed with a silent energy of a supernatural nature. Luckily, the High Priest seemed to have taken no notice of Maka, who lay, completely unconscious, near the entrance of the temple. The hamgirl, on the other paw, faced the hazy newcomer defiantly. Her striking blue met his wizened green, and a spark was lit between their gazes.

"Who is the one that has called me forth from my eternal rest?"

At last, the shadowy figure of the High Priest spoke. His tone was clipped and commanding, deep and masculine, and seemed to, in this spirit-like state, contain the faint trace of an echo, even when speaking at a normal level.

Where normal hamsters would have wavered, or run for their lives, the hamgirl instead stepped forward boldly, unafraid of the spirit she had conjured, and replied in a cool, collected tone that matched his in briskness, her blue eyes never leaving his green ones,

"It was I."

He regarded her with his chin tilted up, looking down on her as he floated idly just a bit from the floor of the temple. He examined her, trying to gauge her character by reading her expression, but he remained silent, his face unchanged. After a long pause, the resurrected priest continued, his tone taking on a bit of a haughty flair, "And _why _have you summoned me, _mortal_?"

She smirked at his haughtiness. He would learn, soon enough, who was in charge here. "Because you and I share the same ideas. We were merely separated by a few hundred years."

That seemed to capture the High Priests's attention. After a moment, during which surprise flitted briefly across his face, the entity scoffed, pulling his teeth back in what appeared to be a menacing snarl, though, as the moonlight danced through his translucent figure, it was hard to tell exactly what expression he wore, "You, a pathetic mortal, share in _my _ideals? One who bears no connection to the spirit realm cannot possibly understand what I so desired to accomplish....what I was killed for! The truth my foolish followers failed to see!"

She remained unaffected by his tone. Crossing her paws over her chest, book held limply in one paw, she remarked airily, keeping her voice level and eyes unchanging, "And _why _would I bring you back from the spirit world if I _didn't _share in your beliefs? My motive is not the same...but the ends that we wish to create are identical. The way I see it, we _both _stand to profit from my summoning you."

The High Priest took a moment to consider that. He had to admit...what she said made sense. But he hadn't been waiting in the spirit realm just to be summoned several years later on a whim. After a moment, his green eyes narrowed into two serpent-like slits, and he asked, "How long have I been slumbering?"

"806 years, approximately."

"Are the Hamstala still alive?"

"Indeed, but vastly different from how they were in your times. I myself deserted them."

"Different how?"

"They are smaller - several hamsters left the Hamalonian Forest in search of a domesticated lifestyle. Your temple was abandoned shortly after you were killed, and gradually, the Hamstala stopped electing Priests, and while they continue to believe in the powers of the spirit-realm, they have been modernizing themselves for decades..."

"_Modernizing_?" The High Priest asked abruptly, nostrils flaring, clearly angered by her use of that word. His paw tightened around his staff, like he wished to strike an unseen foe.

Noting his sudden change in demeanor, the hamgirl realized exactly what she needed to do to convince him of her efforts - and it would be all too easy. A slight apologetic edge to her tone, as if to show she was in disagreement with what she described, the hamgirl went on, stepping forward slightly, closing the gap between herself and the resurrected mystic, "Yes. The ancient ways are being tossed aside in favor of newer, more modern ways of life...and the Hamstala are becoming more and more like those hamsters who live beyond the woods. _Domesticated _hamsters. You wouldn't even recognize the tribe any longer."

The High Priest scoffed, eyes ablaze with rage. "_Imbeciles_. Letting such drivel fill their heads...shying away from the traditions that made our tribe strong. I saw this coming years ago; a weakness converging on our kind, like some plague. No matter...they will one day be punished for this modernization...for forgetting their heritage and neglecting the ancient ways! They will suffer, as I have suffered! They will see the fatal error of their choices!" His voice was jam-packed with venomous vehemence.

The hamgirl smiled. He had played himself right into her paw.

"And that is what_ I_ intend to do."

His green eyes flickered to her, gleaming with a trace of curiosity. He was unable to detect her personality from her expression, as it was impossible to read, but she, and whatever proposition she was about to lay out for him, intrigued him nonetheless. With eyes narrowed, he drawled,

"...Go on."

She didn't hesitate, for she knew precisely want she wanted, and even if she preferred to work more or less alone, she knew that this had to be done. "Regardless of our motives, we _both _want a permanent door to the spirit realm opened. You want it to bring the spirit world and the world of the living back into perfect harmony, and I want it for...my own reasons. And I called you here with the intention of proposing a partnership - " She held the book she had used to perform the ceremony firmly in her two paws, and his eyes flickered with recognition.

" - since our goal is the same, why don't you and I work together, to open the door to the spirit realm for good?"

The High Priest raised his brows, arms crossed over his chest. Critically, he continued to examine the mortal hamgirl that had conjured him. She had such an ordinary appearance, with dark grey fur on her body and face, the back of her ears and head more dull green in color, a golden locket round her neck, and piercing blue eyes that cut through the night like a lamp through fog. Normally, he would have considered such a proposition ridiculous...but there was something about the tone to her voice, and the repressed anger he could sense about her, that seemed to show how truly dead serious she was. She was dedicated to this cause - the cause he had become a martyr for, and, starting tonight, could begin fighting for again. Besides, in his wretched spirit-state, there was little he could do....his ties to the spirit realm only went so deep, and without help, opening that door would be an uphill battle.

A smirk spread across the face of the High Priest. "Your suggestion intrigues me, mortal. Perhaps with two hamsters working toward this end our goal will be realized much faster. Very well...I agree to your partnership. Now, if you'll kindly hand me back my book..."

He reached for the book clasped in her paw, but she danced nimbly away from his reach, a smirk playing on her face. There was no way she was going to let him reclaim his book - that would leave far too much power in his paws, and she knew the plan would succeed if _she _was at the helm, rather than this disgruntled soul. "Not so fast," She chided, taking the spirit by surprise. "There are _terms _to this partnership.._.I _keep the book. _You _do as I say. Do we have a deal?"

Indignantly, the High Priest scoffed at her gall. The book was his, every spell and ritual written by his paw, and there was no way he could complete his goal without it! He eyed the hamgirl again, but saw that she was holding the book idly at her side, almost carelessly, like she didn't fear him taking it from her. He scowled, seeing the arrogant gleam in her eyes. She didn't fear him attempting to steal it from her...and he had a hunch it was because she would destroy it before he, or anyone, could. And as long as she had that book, she had power over him, as it was, essentially, the source of his strength and he didn't know what she would do to it if he angered her...she was perfectly capable of destroying it, as well as him, as he was helpless in a world where he didn't completely belong, _and _he had been summoned by _her _paw. Mentally, he cursed her. She knew he would be forced into their agreement from the start. Her mind was far more complex than he had thought at first sight...she wanted the power, and would do anything to have it.

He resented the fact that he was, essentially, consigned to be a subordinate...to a _mortal_, no less. But so long as they desired a common goal, and were working toward that end, he supposed that he could resign himself to taking orders from this hamgirl...at least until he had garnered some of his old strength back...the trip from the spirit realm had worn him out.

There was one last question to be asked.

"What is your name, mortal?"

She arched a brow. "Tell me yours first."

He quirked a brow, dislike and respect for the hamgirl shooting through him simultaneously. With a brittle edge to his voice, as, no matter whether or not she held his book, he resented being spoken to like a child,

"...Sage."

The hamgirl smirked once more. She could now feel it in the calm night air all around her; how close she was to realizing her dream. The book, the High Priest, and the locket around her neck were the keys to unlocking the permanent door to the spirit realm, and all she needed to do was line up the pieces and find how they all fit together.

"And _yours_?" Sage prompted again, impatiently.

Her cold, expressionless demeanor overtaking her once more, she replied stonily,

"...Mezra."

Sage allowed a coy smirk to claim his somewhat translucent features. "We'll need a few more paws to aid this plan, you know. This is the work of _spiritual _hams, not mere mortals."

"I have followers," Mezra remarked, offhand. "And there are no more spiritual hams left, other than some young hamster from the Hamstala Tribe who claims to have a spiritual sense of some kind. No one else will help; it is a futile search."

Sage's green eyes glittered malevolently. "Not if you recruit from the _other _side."

Mezra narrowed her eyes, but before she could speak Sage had turned to face the far wall, the one opposite his own portrait, and he waved his staff gracefully, in an arc-like motion, through the air. Mezra refrained from reacting as she watched part of the yellowed rock of the wall fall away completely, as if it had been torn down by some monstrous set of claws, and another painting, faded and smeared beyond recognition, was shown, having been hidden for centuries. Sage then began to chant the ancient language of the Hamstala, and Mezra felt the spirit energy in the room skyrocket to unbelievable proportions, a hazy blue light blinding her vision for a moment, a gust of wind kicking up a cloud that made her let out a few coughs. Once the dust had cleared and the ethereal light had faded, Mezra carefully opened her glacial blue eyes and couldn't help but grin when she saw what it was that Sage, smiling smugly at his accomplishment, had called forth from the depths of the forgotten world of legends and myth. Perhaps working with Sage would be more beneficial to her than she previously thought...

Something wicked truly had come.

The creature let out a feral scream that rang out across the entire Hamalonian Forest, ripping through the night like a screeching bell of death.

And it was music to Mezra's ears.

* * *

**CFB**: Only one chapter in, and there's already a death! The toll will gradually rise, haha. I'm not being so nice this time around! GRRR! No more nice CFB....

The character of **Mezra **and the character of **Alvar **were created by _**Theta Jones.**_ I can't wait for you guys to see more of them!

**Next time:** Will now, and for every chapter here on out, be in the form of a quote from the upcoming chapter! Here's what's coming next...

"**Still, I don't like the idea of you and he going off **_**alone **_**somewhere. You **_**sure **_**you don't want me to chaperone?"**

Read and review, kindly. Let me and Theta know what you thought! It's only a taste of what's to come, and I hope you enjoyed the first look at Forests of Eternity.

And on a sidenote...I'm pretty much swamped with school, work, college applications, volunteering, and friends, so I'm going to aim for bi-weekly updates, and I'm also started much farther behind than I usually do. I'll do my very best to stay on track, so there aren't long gaps between updates. :) Thanks for reading!


	2. Overture

**CFB: **New villains, new heroes, and a new setting.....ah....it feels good to have a fresh slate again!

I am extremely sorry for the long wait. I've been far busier than I anticipated. But things have died down – I'm not being scheduled as much at work because of the holidays being over, and all my college apps are done. I still have other responsibilities, but writing will always be _a_ priority. So I haven't vanished! If you think I'd give up on a story, you obviously have no faith in me! ;)

Since my last story had a weather theme….this story will have a theme as well! This time, it's a **music** theme. So at the beginning of each chapter, I'll post a title of a song that helped me write that specific chapter. It may be related to the story….or random, depending on my musical mood as I write. Anyway, by the end there should be a pretty lengthy playlist! This chapter was inspired by the song_** Somewhere by Within Temptation. **_I wouldn't have churned out the last six pages of this without it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, or any of its characters. I own most characters and ideas not related to the original Hamtaro franchise save for those that were created by Theta Jones.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 1:

_Overture_

"Siren....are you _sure _you're going to be okay?"

"Positive, Panda. Stop getting yourself in a _fussfuss_!"

Panda stared at his surrogate little sister with cloudy eyes, a frown set firmly on his face. The sky above the pair was bright blue and sunny, but the air was frigid in Oak Tree Park, a soft blanket of pure-white snow, natural for the month of January, laying across the ground and covering all signs of hopeful green. Every now and then, a gust of icy wind would shoot through the trees and chilled the hamsters down to their bones, but they stood their ground, wearing comforting, home-made scarves (a Christmas present from Pashmina) to keep themselves warm in the glacial cold of winter weather.

Siren, not liking the worried look on Panda's face as they stood together in the shallow snow, placed a warm paw on his hunched shoulder to comfort him, giving her best 'It'll-all-be-okay!' smile. "Look, I'm only going to be gone for a week, Panda! I'll be back and playing hide-the-seed with everyone before you know it!" Siren chirped, grinning hugely, excitement shining in her azure eyes.

Panda glowered at a tree stump to his left, his eyes narrowed. "Well, I'd be a lot less worried if you were going on a vacation by yourself, instead of with Sprint...he was always a shady one, if I recall...I _swear _he tried to steal some acorns from the store room when he came to visit two months ago..."

Siren swatted him playfully on the shoulder, a look of mock-hurt on her face. The snow-engorged winter clouds covered up the resilient golden sun, dousing the two hamsters in chilling shadow. "Panda!" She chastised, glaring at him sharply as he turned to look at her with dark, hooded eyes. "You _know _Sprint is a good ham! Without him, we would have never beat Steel all those months ago!"

Panda shrugged - even though he had (and hated) to admit her words were true. "Still, I don't like the idea of you and he going off _alone _somewhere. You _sure _you don't want me to chaperone? I've always wanted to visit the Hamarin Islands...they're supposed to be really exotic, and I could use a break from this freezing cold weather..." He eyed her hopefully, shivering to emphasize his point, though his smile was teasing as he elbowed her gently in the ribs.

Siren looked horrified, waving her paws out in front of her in protest. "No, no...that's okay, Panda! We'll be fine by ourselves! I _swear_!"

Panda chuckled, Siren giggling with him, the tension in his shoulders lessening. This departure would mark the first time since they met in the summer that he would be separated from his surrogate little sister, as her long-distance 'boyham' (Panda used that term lightly) Sprint had sent her a letter inviting her to go on a visit to the tropical Hamarin Islands with him for a week-long vacation in the fun and sun, as he had been generously granted time off from his strenuous job just for the occasion. And Panda greatly resented the fact that the red-eyed Dreamland knight had pointedly added to his invitation that '_this is a vacation for just the two of us, and no Panda-spotted hamsters who act like overprotective brothers are allowed to come. So nyah_!' which he had accentuated with a smiley face-ham sticking its tongue out.

"I know...it's just hard to see my kind-of little sister growing up so fast!" Panda sighed, but grabbed Siren in a fierce hug nonetheless, which she returned with enthusiasm. "But I guess I can let you go, since you've been looking forward to it all week and kept scribbling Sprint's name and floaty little hearts on your paper while you were drawing with Penelope yesterday..."

"I did not!" Siren protested indignantly, squirming out of the hug, her cheeks fire-engine red. If there was one thing that could make Siren's cheeks practically combust, it was to tease her about her relationship with Sprint - just mentioning the dashing knight made her flustered, and when he was actually _around_ it was even worse. Panda exploited this often...he felt it was his duty to do so.

Panda laughed, but then remarked with disapproval in his voice as he turned his eyes to the now clouded sky, which had spread to cover every inch of blue, "Well, a true gentleham would have shown up to give his lady transport. I can't believe he asked you to fly to Dreamland by yourself! I mean, what if you run into a nasty gang of crows, huh?"

It was still relatively early in the morning, with perfect flying conditions despite the briskness of the winter air. The other ham-hams had already said their goodbyes to Siren down in the Clubhouse, and had entrusted her best hammo, Panda, to make sure she took to the skies safely after morphing into her Guardian form - another thing he felt obligated to do, though Siren had claimed she would be fine taking off alone. Siren was the third youngest of the hams, after Cappy and Penelope, and despite the fact she had lived alone for a large portion of her life before meeting the ham-hams, Panda was still uneasy about her being all by herself.

"Panda, chill. Why would he take a dove all the way up here to get me, only to go back in the same direction, drop the dove off, and then fly on the Guardian down to our resort?" Siren giggled, amused by Panda's brotherly tendencies, even if it irked her sometimes. "In what world would that make any sense?"

"It's called chivalry, Siren. And _clearly_, Sprint has none."

"Oh, give it up, Panda. He's a _knight _- chivalry is his job!"

After they had another good chortle, a small silence followed, as another sharp breath of wind ruffled their identical grey scarves and chilled them, despite their warm coats of fur. Panda sighed, realizing that it was now time for goodbye - and even if it were only for a week, it felt like an eon already - since when did having a sister become such a full-time job? With a heavy heart, Panda turned to Siren and said with a grievous sigh, "I'll miss you, Siren, but I sincerely hope you have fun on your trip! Bring me back a sea-shell and make sure Sprint keeps his paws to himself!"

"I will!" Siren promised half-heartedly, but added with more feeling as she looked to Panda with sincere blue eyes, "And I'll miss you, and everyone else too! But I'll be back soon - don't you worry! And I'll tell everyone up in Dreamland that everybody says hello!"

"Promise to be careful?"

"I promise!"

And with that final goodbye, there was a flash of brilliant white light and where Siren had once stood paw-deep in the snow, the Guardian of all hamster-kind, regal and imposing, now stood flaring its raven wings, sniffing eagerly at the air. It cast a friendly, reassuring glance over its shoulder at Panda, cozy grey scarf still secured around its neck like a warm reminder of home, and with a wolfish grin it flapped its powerful wings and was airborne, kicking up a spray of snow and causing Panda to shield his eyes. There was the sound of a grunt, and more fluttering of sleek wings, but when Panda finally opened his eyes, after the gust had died down, the Guardian was gone, the cloudy sky vacant, and Panda couldn't help but start worrying all over again as he began his solitary trek back to the cozy warmth of the Clubhouse.

"Sprint better keep his paws to _himself_...." He growled lowly under his breath with narrowed eyes as he stepped out of the snow and into the entrance tunnel that would lead him to the Clubhouse.

* * *

"Well....she's gone!"

Panda let out a deep sigh as he flopped down on his stool at the bright yellow table. Shoulders drooping, he leaned forward on his paws, frowning discontentedly. Cappy, his green-hatted hamigo, slapped a paw on his shoulder, as if trying to alleviate his downheartedness. "Cheer up, Panda! It's not like she's gone forever! We'll only miss her for a short while, and then she'll be back! Maybe she'll even bring us souvenirs! I'd really like a hat made out of a seashell!"

"Or a sea star! I saw some of them in the brochure that Siren had!" Hamtaro, the ever-cheerful leader of the ham-hams, chided brightly, his brown eyes glowing. Beside him, the pig-tailed female Bijou smiled at his enthusiasm and daintily sipped her tea. "We could hang it up on the wall! It would look great in the Clubhouse!" Hamtaro continued, excited with his idea.

The ham-hams had, as per their usual morning routine, settled themselves around their sunny oak table in the Clubhouse, sipping tea and discussing everything from the chilling weather outside, to their owners' breaks for the holidays, to whatever games they wanted to play that afternoon. The only stool vacant was Siren's, but every other ham-ham has shown up for what would hopefully be a fun-filled day with their very best hammos. Boss sat at the head of the table, followed by Oxnard, Hamtaro, Bijou, Pashmina, Penelope, Sandy, Maxwell, Stan, Howdy, Dexter, Cappy, Panda, and Siren's empty stool - a warm circle of congenial conversation and amiable smiles. It had been calm and peaceful in the Clubhouse since their triumphant return from Dreamland - four months of quiet, with zero adventures, other than the occasional trip to Acorn Mountain or the Ham-Ham Funpark. But, then again, what could compare to their escapades in the unimaginable?

"I am just 'appy zat Siren 'as a chance to spend some time wiz Sprint! Eet has been a while since zey saw each ozzer, _non_? Zis romantic getaway might be just what zey need!" Bijou remarked, blue eyes shining at the prospect of romance. Penelope, in agreement with the French hamgirl, tittered a bright, "Ookwee!"

"Maybe she'll bring us back some treats...I heard they have food down there that would make any ham-ham's mouth water!" Oxnard exclaimed, a dreamy look drifting into his eyes as he thought of his second true love - food.

"The Hamarin Islands are one of the most beautiful tropical areas in the hamster world!" Maxwell, who had read many a book in his lifetime, stated matter-of-factly, eyes agleam with excitement. "They maintain a pleasantly warm temperature year-round and have specially-designed shallow-water beaches so visiting ham-hams won't drown if they can't swim well. Why, it's probably a nice seventy-five degrees down there right now, with a bright sun, and clear skies and waters, when it's practically _freezing _here."

"Cheerful, Maxy. Thanks for that, hamdude..." Stan, eyed dull, let out a disgruntled sigh, face propped up with his paws, elbows on the table. Sarcastically, he drawled, "Like I _wanted _to be reminded that we're stuck in winter wonderland, while Siren and Sprint get to have totally radical fun in the sun..."

"Quit whining, Stan. Like, you're just upset that you won't be able to hit on the hula hamgirls!" Sandy, eying her twin brother with sharp green eyes, chastised, raising her nose to the air with disapproval.

"For your _information_, Sands, I'm jealous because they get to try out surfing, and surfing is a totally gnarly sport!" Stan snapped back, but, there was hesitance in his voice as he admitted after a moment of indecision, shrugging his shoulders lightly, "...Though the hula hamgirls would be a sweet bonus..."

Sandy rolled her eyes. "Like, _typical_."

"Instead of being jealous, we should all be happy that Sprint and Siren get to have some time together!" Pashmina ever-the-optimist, and always the first to try and prevent a fight from happening, remarked with a brilliant smile as she fidgeted absently with her magenta scarf. "Since Sprint lives in Dreamland and Siren lives here in town, they only get to see each other every couple of months, and letters take a while to go back and forth. Now they have a whole _week _to spend with one another! I'm so happy for them!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" In support of her surrogate sister, Penelope cheered.

"Don't remind me..." Panda grumbled darkly, still upset at the idea of the ham-ham he thought of as a sister spending a week alone with a hamboy he didn't completely trust - despite the fact that Sprint had already proven himself to be reliable, on various occasions in the past.

"I agree with Pashmina!" Dexter chimed in, even raising his paw as he smiled hopefully at the scarf-wearing female. "I think we should be happy that Siren and Sprint get to enjoy their little week-long getaway. I think we _all _understand the importance of romance!" Here, he raised his brows and eyed the object of his affection, but she had looked away to help Penelope adjust her yellow blanket, not noticing the bespectacled ham.

"And what would _you _know about romance, _four eyes_?" Howdy sneered, letting out a haughty guffaw as he raised his nose in the air, to which Dexter rolled his eyes. "Why, I don't need glasses to see that yer a _moron _when it comes to this love stuff! You couldn't see romance if it was jumpin' up and down in fronta yer face!"

"Right - _I'm_ the moron Howdy, even though _your _collection of knowledge consists mostly of mediocre jokes and proper sweeping techniques!" Dexter spat back.

"You smart-pawed girly-ham - !"

"Ignorant hillbilly - !"

"Break it up, hams! I've got something to say, and this isn't time for your stupid arguments!" Boss cut in sternly, raising his paws to signify peace, and, after a sharp glare from the older ham, Howdy and Dexter immediately, and reluctantly, piped down. Clearing his throat to gain everyone's attention, Boss, a warm spark in his dark brown eyes, had a smile on his face that indicated he had a very important announcement to make.

The ham-hams, seeing the sly grin their elder wore, perked up, wondering what he could possibly have to tell them. Things in the Clubhouse had settled down at last after their back-to-back adventures in Hamwall and Dreamland, so exciting news had been scarce since then. And while the ham-hams had enjoyed their time off from daring escapades into the unknown, every now and then they would recall those adventures, full of Guardians, heroes, nightmares, were-hams, and powerful friendship, and they would feel a pang of desire for a perilous journey to a legendary land, an unbelievable creature straight from a dream, or the discovery of some ancient myth...after all, it was hard to go back to normal once such extraordinary things had happened to them. They had desperately wanted a break from adventure, but extinguishing the burning desire for another one was a difficult task.

"I've got some great news, ham-hams!" Boss, smile broad, spread his arms out wide as he spoke. "I checked Drizzle's weather report in the ham-ham newspaper, and it looks like we're getting _another _couple inches of snow tonight! There's an 85% chance of Oak Tree Park and the whole town being covered by the stuff, and I like those odds!"

As the news settled, there were numerous groans from the congregated hamsters - not the effect Boss had been hoping for, as he suddenly appeared perplexed by their reactions. Cappy looked worried, no doubt concerned about having the right kind of snow hat for the situation, whereas Panda let his head fall with a defeated thunk onto the table, and even Howdy and Dexter seemed in agreement that Boss's news was not quite what they had been wanting to hear. "Are you _kidding _me?" Stan asked in disbelief, ears drooping. "We just _got _snowed on! We don't need any_ more_!"

Pashmina was openly dismayed. "It was hard enough getting to the Clubhouse without a shovel this morning! I don't think I could make it here from June's house if we get any more snow - I'd be buried up to my scarf!"

"Ookwee, ookwee!" Penelope tittered in agreement, her liquid brown eyes sad.

"I sure don't want to get snowed in!" Hamtaro worried, scratching idly behind his ear as a concerned gleam began to resonate in his warm brown eyes. "Laura's school was already closed twice this week because of snow! And we might not be able to get to the Clubhouse for a week if it snows a lot!"

"What if I lose my lucky seed in the snow?" Oxnard fretted.

A clamor of frantic, worried voices began to rise around the table, irking Boss, who had expected his news to be welcomed with open, appreciative ears. His ears began to twitch, temper bubbling to the surface as he listened to their complaints about the pending weather. Couldn't they see that the inclement storm had provided them with a wonderful opportunity?

"QUIET!!!!!!"

Boss's yell instantly silenced the ham-hams, and they all turned to look at him again, wondering why he appeared so angry. Boss slammed a fist down on the table, brown eyes scorching. In a commanding voice, the elder hamster barked,

"Don't you ham-hams _see_? Tonight is the _night_!"

"What night?" Hamtaro asked confusedly, tilting his head to the side. "I didn't think anything special was happening tonight…"

"We're gonna make something special happen!" Boss replied, as a vibrant, playful gleam entered his eye. With much bravado, he announced proudly, "Because tonight is the night that we have the first annual Ham-Ham Snowball Fight Extravaganza!"

A silence fell.

"Extrava-whata?" Howdy asked.

"Extravaganza!" Boss retorted sharply. "It will be legendary! The best part of winter is the snowball fights…two teams, on opposite ends of the park, trying to strike each other with ice-cold weapons of mass chillifying power! It's the ultimate winter showdown! The moles and I used to team up and take on the rabbits, but this year I think the ham-hams need to have their own snow battle!"

Another murmur rippled through the ham-hams – this time, one of hesitant agreement, as they evaluated the validity of Boss's idea. All the boyhams seemed in favor; and only Maxwell, the least coordinated of the bunch, looked somewhat nervous. "A snow battle? That sounds dangerous!" Pashmina remarked worriedly, her forehead creased – she wasn't quite sold on the idea. "What if someone gets hurt?" Bijou and Penelope looked apprehensive on that basis as well.

Boss smiled. "Snowballs don't hurt _that_ much. Besides, we'll be having so much fun no one will notice!"

"Don't worry, Pashy-baby!" Stan winked, sidling up to the scarf-wearing female with a confident grin on his face. "I'll protect you from anyone who dares throw a snowball at your pretty face – _hurg_!"

Stan was immediately dragged backwards – this time, grabbed by the arms by a fuming Dexter and furious Howdy. Sandy glared at her brother angrily. "Can't you, like, stop flirting for five minutes, Stan?!" Sandy berated him, as Howdy and Dexter deposited him unceremoniously by her side. Stan sat their listlessly and sulked, his flirtatious pursuits abandoned for the time being.

"I think a snowball fight sounds like a great idea!" Hamtaro declared, pumping a fist in the air and grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "We could use a new, fun game to play in the snow! If we're all having fun in the snow, we won't even mind how cold it is!"

"I could go for a good snowball fight!" Cappy seconded, eyes bright.

"Me too!"

"It sounds like a lot of fun!"

"Like, totally radical!"

Boss smirked. He knew that, once they had all the facts, they would readily agree to his plan! He listened smugly as they all began to chatter and murmur again, now in favor of his idea and looking forward to the event in question. Now, there was just one minor tidbit of information left to release…

"There's just one thing, ham-hams!"

All eyes returned to Boss. A mischievous gleam in his eye, the gruff field ham continued, "…The only way to have a real, true-blue snowball fight is to have it…at _night_."

"Night?!" The ham-hams questioned, exchanging looks of surprise.

"You mean…while all of our owners are asleep, so they don't miss us?" Panda asked, his brow furrowed with a hint of confusion. Why would the perfect snowball fight only be able to happen at night? At night, there were horrible things lurking in Oak Tree Park, like owls, or stray cats…it could be very dangerous for them to be out late, and making a ruckus that could attract all sorts of danger. These thoughts seemed to be shared by some of the other ham-hams, who appeared to be reconsidering their excitement.

"_Because_!" Boss retorted hotly, adamant that his idea was fool-proof and disliking any and all opposition to it. "At night, a snowball fight becomes a game of stealth, surprise, and instinct! And that's the only way to have a real snowball fight…under the moonlight, as snow trickles down all around us! Two teams, on the sparkling snow, ready to take each other down with a few well-aimed strikes! It's the perfect plan, ham-hams! Now….who's in?"

"I'm in!" Hamtaro, ever optimistic, was the first to raise his paw. His adventurous side had been dormant for a few months now…and it was time for it to emerge, even if it was only for a snowball fight, and not for some epic battle. It would satisfy his craving for heroism, at least for the time being.

"Zat goes for me too!" Bijou, surprisingly, was the second to volunteer. Hamtaro grinned at her, pleased that she was as eager for the event as he was. "We could use ze excitement, _no_?" She reasoned, blue eyes sparkling.

"Count me in!" Stan, having recovered from his slump, pumped a fist. "Like, I'm ready to show you all who the ham-ham snowball master _really_ is!"

"Hold yer horses, pretty-boy! That title is going to go to me!" Howdy interjected, volunteering himself for the game. "_And I'll impress Pashmina with my skills!"_ He thought to himself with a sly chuckle, though Dexter, glowering at his rival with dark eyes, seemed to sense what the country-ham was thinking instantly.

"In your dreams, Howdy!" Dexter rebuked. "I may not be the most athletic hamster, but I'll give it my best!"

"Me too!" Sandy cheered. "Anything, for like, some competition!"

Maxwell, not wanting to look like a wimp in the eyes of his athletic girlham, Sandy, tentatively raised his paw, though he would much prefer trading a snowball for a good book any day of the week. If Sandy was willing to play, he would give it his very best shot. "I…I guess I'll try anything once…I could always improve my aim…"

"That's the spirit, Maxy!" Sandy complimented him, beaming. Her smile of encouragement made him feel a bit more confident, and he raised his paw with a surge of sudden pride.

"I'm in too!" Cappy exclaimed.

"I'll play, but go easy on me!" Pashmina giggled.

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"I just hope that I don't drop my lucky seed in the snow!" Oxnard remarked, with a hint of worry, as he clutched his lucky seed tightly between his paws.

"And last, but not least, I'll join in!" Panda, willing to do anything to get his mind off of Siren and Sprint, vacationing alone on an exotic island, proudly stepped forward. Eyes agleam, he added, in a jokingly boastful manner, "But you ham-hams better be ready! I have a wicked arm!"

"Then it's settled, ham-hams!" Boss, thrilled by their support of his plan, pounded his fist on the table once again. Competitive fire burning in his eyes, Boss went on, "Tonight, the Ham-Ham Snowball Fight Extravaganza will take place! Everyone, meet here after your owners are asleep! This will be a battle that we'll never, ever forget! Who's ready for the best snow-ball fight in the history of Oak Tree Park?"

"_Hip-hip-HAMHA!!!"_

* * *

Ravyn, her hazel eyes clouded with thought, watched the two bulky guard members carry the stretcher into the Hamstala village. Nothing could be seen of the poor hamster that lay beneath the leafy sheet, other than a limp, dirt-covered paw that hung over the edge like a puppet's lifeless hand. Silently and slowly, so not to jostle the injured hamster, the guard members carried the victim through the main gates and toward the herbalist's tent, where Heru, the resident herbalist and medic, would tend to his wounds.

Ravyn's hazel eyes followed them until they were almost out of sight, transfixed, a frown set primly on her face. Things had gotten bad much faster than she had anticipated - she hadn't seen this attack coming, almost as if it had crept up on the homey village like a sinister shadow. Like whatever lurked out in the jungle was watching, preying on them like a predatory cat…

"Third one in three days..."

Ravyn's gaze flickered as Alvar sidled up to her, a deep sigh escaping his lips. His expression seemed equally as troubled as hers, as he fidgeted absently with his headdress, the spear with the lone crimson feather still held firmly in his paw. Bright green eyes swirling with various emotions, he leaned against the log wall with the dark-furred hamgirl, taking a break from ordering the guard members to stick to their posts at each entrance to the village. The two remained leaning for a moment, neither commenting on the tragedy that had just occurred, as the soft morning light filtered in through the dark canopies above.

"Do you think this one will make it, Alvar?" Ravyn finally asked, her tone low. She stared hard at the ground by her hind-paws, as if trying to occupy her eyes on one immovable object.

Alvar sighed again and gave a light shrug of his shoulders. "Heru will do her best...this one is the worst of the three. She has her paws full with the other two, but they seem to be improving. One, some kid named Gil, woke up today, but says he doesn't remember what happened...however, he did say one word, and _only _one word, about what might have attacked him..." Alvar paused, as if uncertain as to whether or not he should go on.

Ravyn arched a brow, but still did not look at him. "And that word is?"

Alvar sighed for a third time before he stonily replied,

"...Monster."

A chill flitted up Ravyn's spine, but she tried not to show that she had been affected by Alvar's words. A dark cloud loomed over the pair's heads, an ominous threat of something menacing on the horizon. Within the walls, the worry over the three injured hamsters had not yet spread to the entire village - only a select few knew the suspected nature of the attacks, while all other Hamstala innocently believed that the victims now resting in Heru's tent merely got in a bad fight with a squirrel or a lizard, which sometimes happened when one ventured too far away from the gates without protection. The few who did know that something more supernatural was afoot were keeping mum - and hoped they'd be able to stay silent, lest the village grow restless...but the idea that something - something a little more than mortal - was attacking them troubled Ravyn deeply, and her mind was filled with swirling questions. What could they do to stop this terror, when they were just normal hams?

To break the thick tension that had settled, Alvar went on, stretching his weary limbs as he continued to stand against the high, protective walls of the village, "I have a hunch that when the other two wake up, they'll say the same thing. They all have the same wounds, and were found in the same fashion...something's out to get us, I know that much."

Ravyn chuckled dryly. "I thought we were past the days of myths and sorcery..." She remarked, eyes still fixated on the cold dirt ground.

Alvar shot her a sidelong glance. He had known Ravyn for a long time, and was fully aware that she knew what she was talking about when it came to matters of the spiritual - but that didn't stop him from hoping for some new reality about the situation to be revealed. "Are you absolutely _certain _that your sense from three nights ago was correct?" He asked hopefully.

Ravyn offered him a stiff nod. "I'm positive, Alvar. Whatever has been attacking our village is not a hamster...it's something much greater, and I don't mean physically. I can't tell exactly what they are yet, but I can sense two large spiritual presences somewhere deep in the forest...and both have an evil aura about them…and one sinister aura that I cannot describe," Her paws closed into fists, as if she were angered, and her hazel eyed narrowed dangerously. "...This isn't the work of innocent paws. Someone with a motive has brought this curse upon our village, and it must be stopped."

"The natural order of the forest is being disrupted," Alvar agreed sternly, his green eyes serious as his paw tightened involuntarily around his spear. "And we'll find out what's messing with it - don't you worry, Rayv. But in the meantime, I've issued an order to the entire village to stay within the walls until whatever is terrorizing us is vanquished. Tonight I'll lead a search into the forests to try and find this _monster _and bring an end to its terror."

"Will your guard members be able to defeat an enemy that's not of this world?" Ravyn asked lightly, almost taunting, as she at last allowed her murky hazel eyes to flit over to her companion. "Spiritual matters cannot be rushed into..." She added, a note of warning in her voice.

Alvar rolled his eyes. "Well, then what do you suppose we _do_, Princess of Darkness? We can't let whatever's out there keep attacking the Hamstala!" He rebuked, keeping his voice low enough so that any uninvolved villagers in the vicinity would not overhear. "Our way of life is being threatened by something that has infiltrated our _world_. We can't just let it get away with this!"

"I agree."

"Then what's the _problem_?"

"Did you see the wounds on those three hamsters?" Ravyn asked, keeping a surprisingly even, calm tone. Alvar nodded in affirmation, so she continued, "I can sense the power behind what left those wounds. And whatever left them _had _the power to _tear _those hamsters to _pieces _- but it didn't. That shows that whoever summoned this 'monster' from the spirit realm is sending us a _warning_."

Alvar fell silent, his expression steely as he absorbed that thought. "So…they just wanted to show us that they mean business?"

"That's my guess."

"And a wonderful guess it is, my dear. I, for one, believe you are absolutely right."

The two hamsters immediately looked up to see who had spoken. Emerging from the main section of the village was Florian, his violet eyes clear and pure white fur sleek, and he joined Alvar and Ravyn by the main gates. Speaking simply, as if he were noting something as trivial as the weather, the soulful hamster continued as he stood complacently beside Ravyn, the contrast between their fur striking, "Whoever or _whatever _injured our villagers is just showing us what it can do. And if we just ignore it, it will think we were unaffected by the warning and it may strike to kill the next time."

"And pick us off one by one until we _get _the message." Ravyn added, voice cool and hazel eyes narrow.

"_That's _a happy thought..." Alvar mumbled sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest. As Captain of the Guard, t was his duty to protect the inhabitants of the village...and now that three Hamstala had been hurt by some unknown paw - or claw, judging by the wounds he had seen on the three victims - he felt like it was his job to hunt down whatever had caused that pain. However, he also had to admit that Florian and Ravyn had a compelling argument...if they were right, then they might have more reason to fear than he first thought. This was more than just fighting an ordinary warrior from a neighboring tribe...this was messing with the supernatural.

"One must wonder..." Florian mused, his violet eyes lost in the cerulean depths of the sky. "If you believe in the concept of 'what goes around comes around,' what we did to bring this kind of curse upon us?"

"We didn't do _anything_, Flower Boy. This is all cruel, cruel fate."

The trio now turned to see another hamster walking toward them – another familiar face. Hawke's expression was dark, his normally cheerful green eyes shadowed with fatigue and worry. Even the jaunty hawk feather tucked inside his verdant headband seemed to be drooping with the weight of troubles and concerns lingering across his expression. Alvar felt the fur on the back of his neck bristle.

"Fate?" Florian asked lightly, almost amusedly, as Hawke stepped to stand between the white hamster and Ravyn, who did not look pleased to see him arrive. "You're saying our fate is to be destroyed by some kind of spirit monster?"

Hawke shot the snow-white hamboy an indignant look. Explaining himself in a brisk tone, sharp green eyes clashing with Florian's brilliant violet, "Well, it didn't just happen by _chance_. Fate isn't always synonymous with fortune you know…I'm convinced that those attacks are a direct result of fate. As bad as they were, they were meant to happen…which means that _someham_ is destined to stop it from happening…"

Ravyn slapped a paw to her forehead. "Not the hero drivel _again_, Hawke…"

Hawke stuck his nose defiantly in the air, as if to completely refute Ravyn's words. Next to him, Florian let out a small, bemused chuckle, which he pointedly ignored, and Alvar couldn't help but smile faintly at his hamigo. Hawke rebuked, "For your information, _sister_, you aren't the only one with heightened senses...you may be able to sense stuff from the spirit realm, but_ I _can sense my destiny. And I just know that I've finally found it! Saving the Hamstala from this spirit beast is what I'm supposed to do to fulfill my destiny!"

As he spoke, Hawke's voice grew deeply impassioned, and a determined gleam began to shine resiliently in his rich-colored eyes. However, none of the others seemed affected by his words – Alvar, having been on a late patrol the night before, yawned, Ravyn inspected her nails, and Florian began to fiddle with his flower-chain. Hawke took notice and scowled, turning on his friends and tapping his foot on the ground, waiting for a response.

There was none. Hawke's eyes narrowed.

"ARE YOU THREE EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!"

Alvar casually turned to peer up through the dark canopies of the trees. Florian sighed and closed his eyes. Ravyn merely pointedly ignored her surrogate brother, twirling the raven feather tucked in her headband with one lazy paw.

With an indignant huff, Hawke began to storm angrily away. "Fine! I see how it is…" he groused, cheeks burning crimson with anger.

Letting out a good-natured chuckle, Alvar caught his disgruntled friend by the arm and stopped his path. "Relax, Hawke! We're just messing with you…we get that this destiny idea is important to you!"

Ravyn snorted. "More like, we understand that this destiny idea is complete and utter nonsense.." She grumbled under her breath, Florian placing a gentle paw on her arm and casting her a gentle look, as if to remind her to be civil with her hot-tempered adoptive sibling.

The anger began to melt from Hawke's vivid green eyes, and he released the tension in his shoulders. He rejoined the group, and, forgetting his momentary anger, remarked with a dark cloud looming across his features, "This is serious business, guys. I just went to see Heru, and she thinks all the patients will pull through…but each attack is worse than the last. And I don't want to see what the next attack will be like…"

Florian frowned. "Well, I think we all know that we have to do _something_…" With worry in his haunting eyes, Florian surveyed the tranquility and sylvan beauty of the Hamstala Village, and the towering trees of the Hamalonian forest all around them. "But…._what_?"

The words had scarcely left his mouth when Ravyn let out a gasp, hazel eyes widening in shock, her knees buckling beneath her and sending her tumbling to the ground."Ravyn!" Florian shouted in alarm, kneeling beside her fallen form and grasping wildly for her paw, Alvar and Hawke following suit, each of their faces painted with terror. Ravyn lay still on the ground, her eyes wide, almost as if she were terrified. She was still breathing, to the relief of the three hamsters hovering over her, but she appeared to be lost in some kind of trance; adrift from reality. A minute passed in stressful silence.

"Ravyn…?" Hawke asked nervously, nudging the paw that Florian wasn't holding.

Alvar guessed, shooting a knowing look from Hawke to Florian, "Do you…do you guys think that Ravyn may be having a visi - "

Before he could finish his thought, Ravyn opened her eyes, and all attention immediately returned to her. She sighed, but appeared unharmed as she blinked her eyes twice, a sign that she was okay. The distressed crinkle of Florian's forehead relaxed, but his violet eyes remained concerned as he helped Ravyn sit up, her adoptive brother and Alvar still apprehensive as well. "Are you okay, Rayv?" Hawke asked tentatively, lightly touching her other paw.

Ravyn let out a groan, shutting her eyes tight, as if in pain. Florian and Hawke's shoulders tensed. In reply, she uttered through gritted teeth, "That was….the most intense vision I've had in a long time. I'm alright but…that was very strong…"

"What did you see?" Alvar asked quietly, curiosity burning.

Ravyn, relaxed against Florian's arms, raised her clouded eyes to the sky, shimmering meekly through the dark canopies above. Her brow furrowed, as if she were pondering, and she began to recount, in a thoughtful voice, "I saw….hamsters. A pretty big group of them. And they were dressed so strangely…one was wearing some kind of pink sash around her neck, and another had some yellow sheet over her head…and their fur was very polished and neat…one even had _orange_ fur…and they were all sitting around some kind of table, in a room full of these odd contraptions…nothing like you'd find in the Hamalonian Forest…"

Alvar and Hawke arched their brows. What could that possibly mean? Ravyn's visions often corresponded with situations pertaining to their village, or themselves…but how did this relate?

"And then…" Ravyn noted, sitting up a bit straighter as she began to regain her strength. "Then I saw a great beast, like a wolf, only smaller, with black wings and fierce, sharp fangs…and I sensed a great amount of spiritual power coming from this creature…and by the creature's side I saw another hamster – with three long scars across his stomach, and a sword in his paw…they looked ready to fight a war…and then, I saw the other hamsters again, the ones that had been sitting around the table….and they all had these determined looks on their faces…"

Ravyn closed her eyes. "Their presence was strong – just seeing them made me feel as if I were around great warriors. And then, everything went black and I heard a voice say to me…_'These are the ones you seek_.'"

A silence fell, as the three males absorbed her words, contemplating what such a vision could possibly mean. "The end." Ravyn finished dryly, due to their lack of response. "Now if you don't mind, Florian, if you could please help me stand up…"

The elegant hamboy did so, though he kept an arm around her for support, and she was glad to lean on him – the aftereffect of her vision had left her very tired. "What do you think it could mean, Rayv?" Alvar asked, twirling his spear absentmindedly, a habit he lapsed into whenever he was nervous.

"I don't know…" Ravyn answered, her face grim. "But…I can sense an overwhelming power from these hamsters, whoever they are…and I can still sense them….they're very far away, but I can feel their power pulling on my spirit…like the pull of a stream…"

Florian frowned. "Cryptic…" He muttered, obviously not able to make any sense of it either. "I don't know what we can do with that."

"Well, isn't it obvious!?"

Hawke's sudden outburst drew all eyes back to him. Green eyes brimming with a hopeful excitement, Hawke pumped a fist and declared, determination alight on his features, "Ravyn, a voice told you that these hamsters you saw are 'the ones that we seek!' Right before you had the vision, we were wondering about what we could do to stop whatever or whoever's attacking our village! And that vision must have been the answer! We have to go and find those hamsters! They are the key that will help us stop this curse that's been laid upon our village!"

The other three stared at Hawke in disbelief – though Ravyn's look deviated more toward disgust. "Isn't that kind of a…_broad_ guess?" Alvar noted, though he didn't want to invoke his best friend's anger.

"That has to be it!" Hawke pressed, waving his paws for emphasis. "I just know it is!" He turned his vivid green eyes to Ravyn, who was now standing on her own, and staring at him with listless brown eyes. "C'mon, sis! I know you can feel it too…you know just as well as I do that these hamsters are special, and they can help us! You wouldn't have had a vision about them if they weren't important – and you can sense their power, so if you follow your instincts we will be led right to them!"

Ravyn's expression was unchanging. Hawke, paws together, as if in prayer, leaned forward, so that the adoptive siblings were nearly nose to nose. His green eyes were earnest, and his voice low, with a hint of pleading.

"…Please, sis. For the village….we need to at least look into it."

Florian looked at Ravyn. Alvar looked at Ravyn. Hawke looked at Ravyn. Her expression didn't change, though she was obviously analyzing Hawke's plea. The tension in the silent air was so thick, Alvar almost felt the urge to cough, in order to clear up the dense mood that had settled.

Ravyn sighed, "…Fine."

She was immediately swallowed into an immense hug from Hawke, as he let out a barbarian cry of triumph. "Wahoo!!!" He yelled, calling all attention to himself as a few passerby stopped to stare. "You won't regret this, Rayv! We'll have a great adventure, off into the world…just you, me, Grimm, and Quil! We'll call it, 'Hawke and Ravyn's Quest for Destiny!'"

"No we won't." Ravyn drawled dryly. Her sour expression failed to dampen Hawke's mood, as he began to do a victory dance, complete with humming a victory tune to go with it.

"We can't let the attacks continue…" Alvar mused, considering it. "And our warriors are strong, but we don't know what we're up against. Some reinforcements would be wise if we're facing the spiritual."

"Well, I can't say that I'm exactly _wild_ about the idea…" Florian remarked, glancing at Ravyn, who looked mildly repulsed at the idea of an 'adventure' with her brother, though there was a contemplative look in her hazel eyes that seemed to indicate that she saw some merit to the prospect. "But your visions have never led us astray, my dear. I think it is worth a shot looking into…I would go with you, but the honeyblossoms are in bloom and I must tend to them…"

"As if a wimp like you would be invited, pretty boy…" Hawke groused, though his dark tone was brief. Eyes glittering with excitement, he threw his arms in the air and cheered, "This adventure will bring me one step closer to my destiny! Ravyn, I know that these hamsters will be a great asset in protecting this village! Why, I bet they are the brave warriors of some faraway village…"

"Don't count your ducks before they hatch, Hawke!" Alvar interjected, smiling brightly as he slapped his friend on the shoulder, nearly sending a cheerful Hawke pitching forward. "Before you and Doom n' Gloom over there," at the insult, Ravyn shot him an indignant look, which he ignored, "go anywhere, you gotta check with Chief Mael first. He is the authority in the village, after all…even if he is a bit scatterbrained…"

Hawke was not put off in the least by such an obstacle. "Very well!" He cried, as he began to march defiantly off toward the center of the Hamstala village. "I shall go and see the Chief now! Come along, Ravyn! There's much to do before we embark on Hawke and Ravyn's Adventure into the Unknown!"

"Stop naming it!" Ravy hollered, her temper finally flaring, as she stomped after her parading brother.

Alvar and Florian watched them go with looks of amusement on their faces. Once the pair had disappeared, their bickering just a faint echo, Alvar shook his head and commented, "You know, Flor, even with the danger our village is facing, those two never fail to bring a smile to my face. What a pair! You'd think that they were _actually_ related by birth."

Florian sighed. "I just hope they refrain from killing each other on this 'adventure,' as that Neanderthal insists on calling it."

"…Ten seeds says that Ravyn kills him before they even get out of the forest."

"Oh, you're on."

* * *

"I think you need to train your pet a little _better_, Sage."

Mezra eyed the translucent High Priest coolly as they stood inside the abandoned temple. The warm, temperate breeze fluttered in through the entranceway, rustling the hood around Mezra's head, but it did nothing to sway the ghostly, somewhat see-through figure of Sage, as he drifted idly in the center of the temple, staring off into space with intense green eyes. As her words wafted to him, his sharp eyes narrowed and he let out a discontented grunt.

"It's doing its _job_, mortal. Exactly what I asked it to do…scare the Hamstala enough so they know better than to stand in my way. The wounds those three pathetic hamsters endured have delivered that message well…" Sage remarked coolly in retaliation.

Mezra rolled her eyes beneath her hood, unbeknownst to Sage, and let a shallow sigh escape her lips. The undead priest was beginning to edge on her nerves, though she hid her agitation quite well. She had a grudging respect for his abilities, which he had demonstrated over the past three days of their partnership, but she found his voice constantly grating on her patience and found it difficult to ignore his blatant displays of faux authority…he frequently looked down on her with his icy green eyes, as if he somehow possessed superior prowess. Such a thought made Mezra have to quell a chuckle…Sage would realize his place soon enough. She, despite the partnership she pretended to encourage, was in charge…and Sage had far less power than he liked to believe.

"Regardless, your precious little monster made a major folly," Mezra commented icily, as she flipped through the prized book in her paws, drawing Sage's attention to her immediately. Mezra couldn't help the small smirk that claimed her features. He was so easily fooled…

"Folly?" Sage asked, keeping an even tone, though Mezra could detect the faint poisonous edge to his voice.

Mezra matched his crisp green gaze with her own brilliant blue eyes. In a pointed, matter-of-fact voice she explained, "You may have delivered the message, but that savage spirit-beast of yours tore up the forest in the process. If the Hamstala were to organize a search party to find what it was that hurt those hamsters, all they would need to do is follow the path of shredded leaves and decimated trees. Your creature may as well have left a trail of _breadcrumbs_ for them to follow."

Sage's translucent fur bristled for a moment, as if realizing the weight of her words, but once it had passed he shrugged, expression twisted into a sinister snarl. "It is of no consequence. _Let_ them come! They'll only be meeting their demise quicker than planned. I see no fault in that."

Mezra rolled her eyes once more. Being dead for eight hundred years had obviously taken a toll on Sage's brain…

"We need _time_, Sage. This is a delicate operation. If one single piece is out of place, the entire structure falls to shreds. And I won't allow that," Her voice punctured his chilly exterior, and, though translucent, he was seen shuddering slightly. Mezra scoffed lightly in triumph. So long as he understood the magnitude of her words, all would be well.

Sage glanced at her harshly with his shocking eyes. Deviating from the topic, he remarked, tone glacial, "…You never did tell me what your motivations are."

"I beg your pardon?" Mezra asked with mock politeness.

Sage chuckled dryly. "Well, mortal, you have already expressed to share in my ideals, but you have not told me why. Opening a door from this world to the spirit realm is not a common dream – why, many would consider it a danger. You desire my abilities, and claim to want the same things…but _why_?" A faint note of genuine curiosity was detectable in his deep voice.

Mezra paused. "How about you?" She deflected airily. "Remind me why you desire this."

Sage barked out a laugh. "_Why_? The Hamalonian Forest has been tainted by foolish paws and foolish hamsters! When I lived amongst these trees, their voices could be heard clear as song, and hamsters were in perfect symbiosis with the natural world – every hamster was in touch with their spiritual side back when the forest was truly alive! The wondrous world that Fortuna gave to us has been marred by those who are spurning the ways of tradition. And by awakening the spirit world, and connecting it once more to the forest, the Hamalonian Forest can once again, become what it once was!"

His voice echoed powerfully in the temple. Mezra yawned.

"And you?" Sage inquired scathingly, his vibrant eyes boring into the side of Mezra's head.

Mezra waved a dismissive paw at him, masking a smirk as she turned her head away. "Same as you."

Sage's eyes narrowed and it took a great amount of effort to hold back the furious, violent yell that he wanted very much to let out. The hamgirl was frustrating him to no end. She refused to elaborate on the reasons she summoned him, was constantly fiddling with the golden locket around her neck, and remained tight-lipped about herself. If she wasn't holding his book hostage, he would have most certainly unleashed his wrath upon her by now…though he had to admit, he grudgingly respected her determination to remain mysterious. Even though it was very, very annoying.

"Danzar! Maka! Kiri!"

Sage was jolted away from anger as Mezra called out the door of the temple to her followers, waiting patiently at their makeshift headquarters at the bottom of the temple's steps. Within a few seconds, three hamsters appeared in the doorway to the temple; the first, mud-colored and meek Maka, his eyes flitting nervously about the room and refusing to look at Sage; the undead priest still frightened the twitchy ham.

The next hamster to emerge was a tall, lean hamster with dark grey fur, scruffy patches of lighter grey appearing sporadically across his body, which was also marred with various scars. A long scar ran across one eye, visible only under the midnight blue band he wore across his face to conceal the wound. As the result of another injury, the left side of his face had been twisted irreversibly, so one side of his face always resembled a vicious, feral snarl, though his visible, clear sky-blue eye showed no sign of emotion. He was silent as he stepped inside the temple, the most foreboding presence in the room save Mezra and Sage.

The following hamster was a female; short, with an expression of permanent disgust on her face. Her fur was cream colored, though her ears and a triangular shaped patch on her back were colored a faint greenish-grey. Her eyes were sharp, and a deep blue – capable of great expressiveness and extremely hateful stares. She had a dark green band tied around her head to keep the fur out of her eyes. "You called, mistress?" The female hamster was the spokesham, as she inclined her head toward Mezra.

Sage watched their interaction with calculating green eyes.

"Yes, Kiri. I have a mission for you three."

The female, Kiri, looked immediately pleased and her ears perked forward. Maka looked shocked; he was hardly ever called on to do important missions, as he was prone to faint at any given moment from fear. The third hamster, Danzar, didn't move nor make a sound. He just continued to stare listlessly forward, no trace of emotion on his marred face – neither in favor nor against the idea. "What is it, mistress? We'll do anything to help you!" Kiri exclaimed enthusiastically.

Mezra smirked. She had taught them well.

"We are running low on test subjects, and time as well. The Hamoux tribe is not very far from here – tonight, I want the three of you to infiltrate their village and bring me the best hamsters you can find. Make sure you are in and out quickly. They are on their guard more now, since the last time. They do not suspect us, thankfully, but we needn't give them a reason to. Is that clear?" Mezra's voice was cool, and she glared at them powerfully, as if daring any one of them to refuse her wishes.

"Yes, mistress! We are under your paw, and will do whatever it takes to reach our aims!" Kiri bowed her head again in respect, while Maka, suppressing a groan, bowed shakily himself, muttering, "Yes, mistress…" Danzar tilted his head slightly, but didn't make a sound.

"Good. You leave five hours after sunset. Get some rest now; you will need your strength – Kiri, you will be in charge of this mission. You three are now free to go."

"Yes, mistress!" Kiri, glad to have a mission and, thus, an opportunity to please her mistress, left the temple, as per her mistress's wishes, her deep blue eyes glimmering malevolently at the idea of the upcoming night. Danzar turned stoically and walked on silent pawsteps out of the temple, completely unaffected by what had just happened. Maka scampered after them, whimpering fretfully, "H-hey! Wait for me guys! D-don't you think we should have a strategy! Waaait!"

Mezra watched them leave with a satisfied smirk. They were like pawns…so easy to manipulate.

Sage, having watched Mezra's interactions with her followers closely, stared hard at the back of her head. She truly was an enigma...wrapped in unsolvable questions. Based on his observations, he was moved to ask, "I can't help but wonder…do those brainless thugs of yours know your _true_ motives? Or are they following you blindly?"

Mezra did not turn to face him. He sensed no emotions from her, nor could he see her face to gauge any kind of reaction. After a moment of chilling silence, he received his response.

"…Just keep that insolent little _dog _of yours on a short leash, Sage."

And with that, Mezra left the temple, not even sparing him a backwards glance.

Sage followed her with narrowed eyes until she was gone from sight. His paws formed tightly clenched fists at his sides. She thought that by dancing around his questions and avoiding confrontation, she could keep him chained under her command like some common slave…how ignorant could one mortal be?! Closing his eyes, in an attempt to calm himself down, Sage let out a deep breath, venting his frustration.

"When glory is mine again, she will regret treating me like dirt!"

Mezra, aware but uncaring of his anger, retired to the trees that surrounded the forgotten temple. The portion of the forest where the temple was located was very shady, and she sat under a tree with the book, alone, her hood drawn. Even under the cover of the tree's shadow, the golden locket around her neck seemed to glow as bright as starlight. Absently, eyes hidden by shadows, Mezra gently touched the locket with her paw, treating it as if it were the most valuable treasure in the world. A brisk wind picked up as she touched the smooth surface.

"…_Soon_."

* * *

"Mission accomplished!"

Hawke raised his arms defiantly overhead as he and a stoic Ravyn emerged from Chief Mael's lavish hut, stepping down the woven steps until they were back on the ground, walking back toward the outskirts together. It was now around noon; the sun was directly overhead and shining down through the trees in sporadic patches across the mildly bustling Hamstala village. Green eyes excited, Hawke continued, "I knew that Chief Mael would have as much faith in your visions as I do!"

"Don't get your hopes up, Hawke. I don't want you to get worked up, especially if it turns out to be a misinterpretation of my vision," Ravyn warned testily, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Hawke's grin was too wide to be dampened by Ravyn's stark realism. "This is so exciting, sis! We've never left the forest before…and now we're going to get to see the world beyond the trees! All in pursuit of some powerful hamsters, destined to help us defeat whatever is attacking our village…" Hawke's green eyes were glazed over as he lost himself to his daydreams.

"If you keep talking about fate and destiny, I'm going to take Florian on this mission instead of you," Ravyn remarked icily, not in the mood for Hawke's exuberance at the moment.

Hawke frowned briefly. "C'mon, sis. Aren't you excited about this?"

Ravyn's hazel eyes flashed as the surrogate siblings walked side by side, but she said nothing. Hawke could tell that there was something plaguing her mind – he had known her long enough to be able to tell when something was amiss with her normally calm demeanor. However, he also knew better by now than the probe Ravyn's thoughts – she was a very insightful ham, but only spoke her mind when she felt it absolutely necessary. Ravyn could see things that ordinary hamsters could not, and that was a power that she used with great caution. Currently, the look on Ravyn's face – somewhere between deep thought and a tense worry – was enough to send chills up Hawke's spine. He decided it was better not to expect an answer from her.

They walked in silence for a while, until Ravyn, after deciding that arguing with Hawke wasn't worth it, finally broke her silence, letting out a feathery sigh and commenting dryly, as she smirked playfully at her brother, "Well, we might have gotten Chief Mael's permission, Hawke, but there's someone else we need to ask before we get ready to leave…"

"Uh, who?"

"_Mother_."

"….Oh, I hope she's in a good mood…"

* * *

_CFB:_ HAHAHA! I just realized that Ravyn has visions just like Raven from That's So Raven on Disney! Hahahaha….sorry, I thought it was funny…I should name a chapter , "That's Totally Ravyn!" or something…

Also, anyone who can guess the Highlander reference in here gets a shoutout.

Sorry that the ham-hams had limited time in this chapter....they would have had more, but it would have been WAY too long. They'll be in the next chapter a lot more.

_**NEXT TIME:**_ "**AHHHHH!!! ABOMINABLE SNOW HAM-HAMS!!!!!"**

Thank you all for your patience and support. Until next time! Which hopefully won't take three months…*nervous chuckle*


	3. Ode to Snowball Fights

**CFB:** Chapter two time! I'm back – hopefully for a while. I know I put this on hiatus, and I won't call it off just yet, but I had a burst of inspiration, so here goes. This is probably the first and only chapter that will feature Laura…she might be mentioned toward the end of the story too, but she doesn't get a storyline this time. I really stopped caring about the human plot in the last fic, so I'm not bringing it back. Ever.

This chapter was inspired by the song Fukai Mori, by _Do As Infinity._ It was the first J-Pop song I ever heard. Sigh…..oh, the memories.

This chapter's dedicated to my best friend. I love you, girl.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2:** _Ode to Snowball Fights_

"Hamtaro! Guess what!"

Laura peeked into her hamster's cage, brown eyes agleam with a brimming excitement. Her brown hair, now shoulder-length after letting it grow out, had been mussed by the raging winter wind outside, and she was panting slightly, evidence that she had hurried home from school – most likely to share some exciting news with her cherished hamster. Hamtaro, having left the Clubhouse to make it home before his beloved owner returned, looked expectantly at her with liquid brown eyes. Curiously, he tilted his head to the side, wondering what had Laura acting that way.

"I have some really exciting news!" Laura squealed, hardly able to contain her emotions.

"Heke? What is it Laura? Tell me!" Hamtaro, eager to hear whatever news Laura had, placed his paws on the bars of his cage, jumping up and down with anticipation. A wide smile had claimed his furry face, whiskers twitching. "Did you find the world's biggest sunflower seed? Did you run into a cat on your way home? Did you get a good grade on that test you were studying for?"

"Oh Hamtaro, I can't believe it! When mom and dad said yes, I almost screamed, I was so happy! I can't believe they're letting me go!" Laura sighed, placing her hands over her heart and twirling around her room, eyes closed, as if imagining some deep desire. The brilliant smile could not be wiped from her face.

"Go where?" Hamtaro asked, gripping the bars of his cage tightly.

"And Kana's going too! And Roberto! And June and Kylie! Everyone's parents said yes! It's a miracle!"

"Their parents said yes to _what_?" Hamtaro, growing exasperated, began to fidget in his cage, extremely enthusiastic to discover what had Laura acting so animated. "C'mon Laura, you gotta tell me! I'm gonna die from suspense over here!"

"Oh, Hamtaro!" Laura flopped down on her bed with a cheerful sigh, rolling over so that she was able to face her eager hamster more effectively. Brown eyes still filled with a gleam of thrilled excitement, the thirteen year old girl finally divulged the news that had her so riled up. "Reese's father has a ski lodge up in the mountains, and Reese invited all of us to go and spend a whole _week_ there now that midterms are over! Kana, Roberto, Travis, June , Gina, Josh, Kory, Kylie, Mika, Lance, Reese and me, in a ski lodge! A week in the mountains – nothing but snow, trees, skiing – and of course hot chocolate! Oh, I'm so excited! I can't believe mom and dad are letting me go! It's going to be the best trip _ever_!"

Hamtaro, absorbing the news, grinned warmly at his owner, glad to see her practically glowing with thrilled anticipation. "Wow! That's great, Laura! I know I'd be super excited if I got to spend a whole week somewhere with the ham-hams! You're going to have tons of fun! But….what's skiing? Is it a kind of food?"

"And Roberto promised to teach me how to ski…" Laura's cheeks began to faintly glow pink, as she recalled the orange-haired boy, with whom she had grown closer over the past few months. "I'm really glad he's going to be there! It's our first trip together, after all. Kana's really nervous that she'll look like a fool in front of Lance, but I think we'll be just fine! As long as Roberto holds my hand, I don't think I'll fall….at least, I _hope_ not!"

"Aw, don't worry, Laura! You can do anything you put your mind to!"

Laura, putting her excitement to the side for a moment, tossed Hamtaro a small smile, her brown eyes briefly melancholy as she realized that she would be separated from her treasured pet during her week of snow-filled fun. "The only drawback is that I can't bring _you_ with me, little guy. It's too cold up there for you, and Reese has three cats that would probably mistake you for a meal! But mom and dad are going to take care of you while I'm gone. I'll be back before you know it! And I'll make sure I bring a souvenir back for you, Hamtaro!" The kind-hearted girl promised, gently reaching a finger between the bars of Hamtaro's cage so that she could scratch beneath his chin.

Hamtaro complied to her touch, and allowed a smile to spread across his face. "Don't you worry, Laura! I'll be just fine here! I'll take care of the home-front while you're gone."

"I will miss you, Hamtaro…" Laura lamented, offering up a sincere smile, though the excitement in her demeanor could not be masked. "But I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun while I'm gone!"

"I'll miss you too, Laura….but you're right! The ham-hams and I always have a lot of fun, and it starts with our epic snowball fight tonight! Hip-hip-hamha!"

* * *

"Mother….now, we know you don't like us going too far from the village….but this time we have a really good reason!"

Hawke's green eyes were pleading as he stared up at his mother. She stared back at him in silence, sharp golden eyes calculating and her gaze unwavering in the midday sun. Ravyn, having accompanied her brother, was standing off to the side, leaning casually against a tree as she, her brother, and their mother stood in a clearing a few feet away from the Hamstala Village border. The dark-furred mystic had left the permission-asking to her darling brother – it had been _his_ idea, after all. And she wasn't about to anger her somewhat over-protective mother if she could help it.

Hawke, feeling small and pitifully weak next to the intimidating form of his much more powerful mother, gulped down his fear and forged on, voice unwavering despite the fearful way his paws quivered,

"I really think I'm going to find my destiny this time!"

The fierce golden eyes turned skeptical.

"I know I've said it a dozen times before….but Ravyn had a vision, and with these attacks happening, we can't afford to stand around and do nothing! We will be back within two days, and Quil and Grimm will be with us! We'll be very safe with them around!"

The golden orbs narrowed, skeptical.

"Mother…" Hawke, desperation now exuding from his vivid eyes, clasped his paws together, as if in prayer, and fell on his knees before the one he called his mother. "_Please_. We will be careful, and this may be the only chance for the Hamstala. You _must_ let us go! _Wishie_!"

The sunlit clearing fell silent. Even the stoic Ravyn had raised her gaze to peer expectantly at the creature she had, for almost her entire life, considered her mother. Hawke remained in a kneeling stance, begging his mother with his bright green eyes to relent to his wishes, and allow him and his adoptive sister to go out and see what wonders, and heroes, the mysterious outside world contained…Their mother was notoriously strict with the two hamsters she had raised, and even though Hawke knew that getting her permission was a longshot, he still hoped, resiliently, that she would ease up _just_ this once…

And then, wild hope seized his body, as he saw his mother blink her sharp golden eyes and nod her head twice. She grunted, but when her eyes opened, they remained stern, warning him that he and Ravyn were to be careful on their journey. However, it appeared as if the mother had relented, and would let her adopted children venture outside the Hamalonian Forest for the first time in their young lives.

"WAHOO!!!!" Hawke cheered, throwing his arms round his mother's leg – the only part of her he could reach around. "Thank you, mother! You won't regret this! Soon, you'll be able to say that you were responsible for raising a hero! And a _valiant_ one at that! You'll be so proud of me!"

"Ahem..." Ravyn, still leaning against a tree off to the side, coughed into her paw, shooting her brother an annoyed look.

As if suddenly reminded of something, Hawke added, "Oh yeah….and Ravyn too. You'll be proud of her and her….weirdo psychic abilities. Anyway, thank you, mother! We'll return triumphantly, I assure you! Have no fear!"

With that, Hawke turned defiantly from his mother and began to march proudly back to the village. Ravyn, rolling her eyes, bowed her head in thanks toward the one who had raised her, and she followed after Hawke, arms crossed over her chest. Both could feel their mother's intense golden eyes on them as they walked away. Once they were safely back within the village boundaries, Hawke let out a huge sigh of relief and fell to his knees, shaking as the fear he had been suppressing was released.

"Whew! I never in a million years thought that mother would agree to it! She's actually letting us go!" Hawke's voice was incredulous.

Ravyn rolled her eyes, but offered Hawke a paw to help pull him to his feet. "You're overreacting, Hawke. Mother isn't nearly as strict as you think she is….she just _looks_ fierce. Besides, if she didn't kill Florian when he asked for her permission to marry me, then the odds of her saying yes to _this_ were in our favor the whole time."

Hawke accepted her paw and allowed her to pull him from the ground, but glared at her indignantly as he brushed the dust from his fur. "You're just jealous of my amazing persuasion skills, sis."

"Oh yeah, that's it…" Ravyn drawled dryly, with a sarcastic sniff.

"I knew it…"

"Enough. It's time we focus on the task at paw…" Ravyn was quick to get down to business, her hazel eyes sternly narrowed. "We have to be prepared to leave by sunset, at the latest. If the wind is on our side and we avoid enemy air forces, we should be able to reach this place within a day, at the very most. At least, that's what I'm hoping. I'm not exactly sure where this place is, and Harvald the mapmaker hadn't heard of anything like it…"

Hawke's expression fell, having just realized something very grim. "That's right. We don't even know where we're going…" He had never been one to think his plans through…

Ravyn shrugged her shoulders delicately. "I was planning on following my senses, because I can, if I concentrate, faintly sense the same power I detected from my vision…but reliability is always a factor. It's the best we got, so it will have to do."

"Or, you could ask that stranger where to go."

The siblings looked to see Florian headed their way once again, the usual complacent smile on his handsome, snow-white face. He greeted Ravyn warmly with a smile, which she returned, but he more or less ignored Hawke, who appeared irked at the white male ham's sudden appearance – he was always popping up at random spots, much to Hawke's chagrin. "What are you doing here, pretty boy?" Hawke complained, less than pleased to see his sister's fiancé. "And what exactly do you mean by 'you could ask that stranger?'"

"Was your mother in favor of your plan, dear?" Florian, continuing to pay Hawke no mind, asked Ravyn. Either he was regarding Hawke with distaste, or he was so spacey he really hadn't noticed that the green-eyed ham was there.

"Hey!!! I'm talking to you, Petal Man!!!" Hawke roared, paws balled into fists as his eyes narrowed angrily at the other male.

"She is allowing us to go." Ravyn replied in a calm, civil tone, much unlike the one she used when talking to her brother. "Now tell us, Florian, what did you mean by 'ask that stranger where to go?' Do you mean to tell me that someone knows where these brave hamsters are?"

Florian's violet eyes turned cloudy, and he idly scratched beneath his chin. "A curious hamster just blew into town this morning. He seems to speak only in rhyme, and has the oddest furstyle I've ever seen – it reminds me of the ancient Hamlyre tribe. Plus, he has a rather unusual traveling companion….anyway, I found him lounging in my garden, sniffing at the wild bellflowers. Naturally, I struck up a conversation with him, and relayed your vision to him…and he said he knows of that the strange room you described in the first part of your vision, as well as the hamsters you detailed."

"What?! Are you serious!?" Hawke exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. He let out a laugh, unable to contain his thrilled joy over the news. "Someham actually knows the place from Ravyn's vision? That's incredible!"

"Peculiar…" Ravyn wasn't as visibly excited as her sibling, but her hazel eyes had sparked at Florian's words. "This is an immense stroke of luck. Where is this stranger now, Florian?"

"Well, I'd venture a guess that he's still in my garden. He seems to find it comfortable – apparently, it reminds him of 'his travels.' I think he's somewhat of a wandering him. Shall I take you to him, my dear?" Florian, with a suave grin, offered his paw to Ravyn, who accepted it with a nod of her head and a small smile on her face.

"Yes. Let's go. I'm interested to hear what this hamster has to tell."

"Me too!" Hawke, not put off, exclaimed, with a fire burning in his brilliant eyes. His usual fighting spirit was present once more. "Maybe he'll know the path that will lead us to those valiant heroes!"

"Hawke! When did _you_ get here?"

"….Can it, Flower Boy."

* * *

Laura was, as far as teenage girls went, fairly typical. So, once both girls had received the okay from their parents, she naturally invited Kana over to share in the delight that they would be spending a whole week of school-free fun in the snowy mountains with their closest friends, skiing and having the time of their lives. And, naturally, Kana had to share the news with Kylie and June, who also decided to take a trip out to Laura's house, so they could gush over the details of their vacation.

This supplied Hamtaro with an opportunity to chat with his hamigo, Oxnard, as well as Pashmina and Penelope, who had made the trip with their respective owners. Their cages were all placed closely together on Laura's desk, so they could talk to one another between the bars, while the four girls sat on the floor in a chattering circle, eagerly anticipating their snow-covered paradise. And the boys that would be there, of course.

"The house is going to be kind of dull while June's gone on her vacation!" Pashmina commented, her ears drooping slightly, as she looked into the cages of her other three friends. "But still, I hope she has a good time! When she called Travis earlier today, she sounded so excited! Even if home won't be as fun without her…"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope squeaked, hopping up and down in her woodchips.

"Don't worry, Pashmina! We'll have lots of fun anyway, even if our owners are gone! We've got our epic snowball battle tonight, remember?" Hamtaro reminded the scarf-wearing ham, still energized for their night plans.

"D-don't remind me…" Oxnard despaired, clutching nervously at his lucky seed. "I-I'm too slow for snowball fights. I'll be like a big walking target!"

"Aw, Oxnard. You'll be fine! Besides, it'll be fun! Anytime we get to spend with all the ham-hams is fun – even if sometimes it's a little dangerous…" Pashmina noted, sounding a little bit like she were trying to convince _herself_ as well as her grey-spotted friend. "I plan on hiding behind a big snowdrift – then no one can hit me!"

"Ookwee!" Penelope nodded, indicating that she agreed with Pashmina's plan.

Aw, come on guys!" Hamtaro frowned. "What fun is it if there isn't a little bit of danger? That makes it all the better, if you ask me!"

Pashmina chuckled lightly at Hamtaro's comment. "Really, Hamtaro! Over the summer, we practically had back-to-back adventures, and they were life-or-death dangerous! You can't tell me that you want danger again _this_ soon! We've barely had a breather since Steel and Spyke were beaten!"

Hamtaro heard her, but an oddly thoughtful look had appeared on his face, as if he couldn't bring himself to say something. His rich brown eyes were a mixture of sadness and indecision. Pashmina, Penelope, and Oxnard peered at him quizzically. "What's wrong, Hamtaro?" Oxnard, his concerned hamigo, queried.

Hamtaro shrugged, head low. "I don't know…..don't you guys…ever _miss_ it?"

"Miss what?" Pashmina asked, her brow furrowed.

"Ookwee?"

"You know…" Hamtaro continued, feeling almost a little sheepish. "The danger. The adventure. I know that the journeys to Hamwall and Dreamland really took a toll on us, and we've only just recovered, but sometimes…" He turned his chocolate colored eyes to the sky, as if yearning for something that was out of reach, behind the glass pane. "Sometimes….I wish we could go on another adventure. It might have been scary, and we might have been exhausted at the end, but still…" He placed a paw over his heart, where he knew the heroic side of his persona lay dormant.

"Still….I find myself really, _really_ missing the thrill of it."

Pashmina offered him a warm smile. "Gee, Hamtaro. You really are a hero! Only a hero would say that he missed the danger of his adventures!"

Hamtaro looked a little crestfallen at her words, but tried to mask it. "You mean…you don't feel that way? At all?" He looked from her, to Oxnard, and finally, to little Penelope, a faint gleam of hope in his eyes. He couldn't be the only one who missed their daring escapades into the world of the unknown….those times had been the best of his life. He too, had enjoyed the relaxation in the calm months following their triumph over Steel…but once he had taken a bite out of adventure and legend, it was impossible to stop his desire for another taste. Some days, it was like he could feel the powerful surge of a sword held tightly in his paw…

"I can't say I miss the danger…" Oxnard mused. "But I like visiting exciting new places! Especially Dreamland…the food there was delicious!"

"And I like helping people, just like we helped Princess Hamorette and Screech…" Pashmina remarked, thinking it over, "But I don't miss the danger either! For our next adventure, I'd rather we just go to a distant land, relax, and enjoy the sights for once, without some foul-tempered villain breathing fire down our necks!"

"Ookwee!"

"Maybe I'll even find a Prince Charming on our next journey…"

"Ookwee!"

As the other three began an animated discussion of their possible future (and danger-less) ventures, Hamtaro continued to gaze out the window. The sky was dark grey, just as Boss had predicted, and the first few flecks of snow had begun to fall. He could feel the sleeping hero within him begin to stir, lighting a small fire in his chest. These long months away from danger and adventure had been peaceful…but he couldn't help wishing for one last hoorah. His desire could not be quenched – he still felt, somehow, as if there were something greater out there for him to accomplish. He felt, as he stared out over the trees that spread along the horizon, that something – something ominous, but great all at once – lay in store for him and his hammos, somewhere.

And, really, he couldn't wait for another taste of it.

"I know another adventure is waiting for me...." Hamtaro murmured sadly under his breath as he watched the snow trickle down from the grey heavens, his brown eyes clouded. "...I just _know _it."

* * *

"You sure you two are ready for this?"

Alvar regarded his friends with a hint of skepticism in his eyes. Hawke and Ravyn, as the sunset cast a golden orange glow over the tranquil Hamalonian Forest, were at last ready for their journey into the unknown outside world. Hawke, perched atop his 'brother,' – a fierce, muscular hawk named Quil – couldn't stop the grin from claiming his face and Ravyn, stoic as ever, was sitting on a raven – her surrogate 'sister,' Grimm, with the birds serving as their transportation on the hunt for the subjects of Ravyn's vision. A small congregation of hamsters had joined the sibling as they prepared to leave, in order to offer well wishes and say goodbye to the pair.

"I'm positive we're ready!" Hawke replied, trying to quell the doubts of his best friend. He puffed his chest out heroically, like an over-confident bird. "I've never been readier, in fact!"

"That's what scares me…" Alvar muttered under his breath, knowing full well how eccentric his best friend could be. Raising his voice, he told the headstrong hamboy, "Just be careful, okay? And Ravyn…" He turned his eyes to the female, green eyes joking. "I'd prefer to have my best friend back in one piece, if you will. He's annoying, I'll admit, but try and refrain from killing him."

"I make no promises." Ravyn remarked dryly.

"Please, you two, come back safely!" A hamgirl, around Hawke and Ravyn's age, stepped forward. She was average-sized, with bright, wishful eyes of clear grey. Most of her fur was white, but she had a band of golden-brown fur around her eyes, almost as if she were wearing a mask, and two tufts of gold-brown fur pulled into pigtails on either side of her head. A midnight blue headband was tied around her head, and she had a grey satchel slung across her back. Her overall appearance was one of a gentle, caring nurturer, without a mean bone in her body. Currently, her grey eyes were haunted with worry and her mouth was set into a prim frown. "We can't afford to lose two of our bravest hamsters, especially in times like this!"

"Fear not, Heru!" Hawke, his cheeks turning a fine shade of scarlet, was eager to impress the young hamgirl as he attempted to ease her concerns. "We will return from our mission in triumph! Though, I must say, your concern for me and my welfare makes my heart swell, and I just want you to know, that, as I'm facing the fierce winds and brutal elements on the way to find the heroes we seek, my only wish is that you'll be praying for my safe return, and when I return, a hero in every sense of the word, you'll greet me with - "

"Just don't screw up, okay?" Another hamgirl chimed in, interrupting Hawke's rant. She stood next to the other hamgirl – Heru - with her arms crossed and one brow arched. Her fur was a fine cream color, save for two reddish-brown stripes on each cheek, and the longer strands of fur had been pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were a sharp, deep shade of cobalt blue, and her expression showed that she was capable of great wit, a powerful feistiness, and paw-shaking anger. The headband around her head was bright crimson, with a short golden feather tucked into it.

"No one asked _you_, Melody!" Hawke sneered, obviously upset that his attempt to woo Heru had been ruined by her best friend.

"Just make sure you come back alive, Hawke," The hamgirl, Melody rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face. "And I wish you both luck. Though if Hawke accidentally loses his voice box on this trip, I'm sure no one will mind…that was a hint, Ravyn…"

"Duly noted."

"HEY!"

"Now, now….this isn't the time for any of us to be fighting!" Alvar, the lone voice of reason, broke up the banter. "This is a serious matter! Hawke and Ravyn are going to need all of our support as they venture out into lands unknown, so we can't bicker now, when we're about to send them on their way. As for you, Hawke, you need to focus – don't let what anyone says get to you, when you've got a mission at paw. Right?"

Hawke, heeding his hamigo's words, changed his expression from one of anger to one of steely confidence. "Right!" Melody, who had also been the subject of Alvar's chastising words, merely turned her back on the Guard Captain with a small 'hmph!' her paws still crossed over her chest. Alvar stared at her back for a moment, a subtle glint of distress in his eyes, before he turned back to the siblings, who were just about ready to depart.

"Good luck Hawke and Ravyn!" Heru, paws clasped in front of her, commented cheerfully. A hint of worry still lingered in her grey eyes. "I'll be praying for your safe return!"

Florian stepped up next, placing a warm paw on Grimm's sleek black wing, his violet eyes focused on Ravyn, who was looking back at him earnestly. "I wish you the very best of luck, my dear. Starlit nights in the garden simply won't be the same without you beside me as companionship. I will be eagerly anticipating your return, and all of my concerns rest with you. May La Fortuna look over you in your travels."

Hawke made a gagging noise. Ravyn shot him a fierce look, before returning her hazel gaze to Florian and remarking, "I look forward to when we'll be reunited, Florian. Distance can only separate us physically – remember, our hearts are always together, regardless of how far apart we are."

Hawke pretended to vomit. He was ignored.

"Until we meet again, my dear."

"Yes, until then."

"Oh, and Hawke….just try and prevent yourself from being an idiot. I know it's hard for you, but still…"

"WOULD YOU ALL STOP DOUBTING ME?!"

"Best of luck, Ravyn! And Hawke, as much as it pains me, I hope you succeed, alright?" Melody spoke up again, offering a wry smile as she regarded the siblings with her dark blue eyes.

"Do you remember the directions that the weirdo with the foreign, string instrument told you?" Alvar asked, stepping up to the side of both majestic birds. A brotherly concern was playing across his face, as he gripped the spear in his paw with an added anxiety. "The skies are treacherous, and we don't know anything about the land beyond the forest either."

"I remember exactly what the mysterious stranger told me…and besides, I can still sense the hamsters from the vision….it's faint, but we should be fine, no matter what," Ravyn replied, turning her hazel eyes to the pink-orange sky through the dark canopies of the trees. "Now, time's wasting. We have enough provisions for three days, but I expect that we'll be back within two. We'll have Quil let out a call when we're close to the village, upon our return…"

"And you all need to be just as careful as we do…" Hawke reminded the small group, his green eyes now serious. "That strange power is still lurking somewhere in the forest, and it could attack again. That spirit monster, or whatever it is, is dangerous, and it very well may come after another ham..."

"I have five soldiers stationed at each gate, and sporadically around the border of the village," Alvar informed him. "We'll hold down the fort until you return. Besides, your mother has agreed to watch for enemies from above, so I think we'll be able to hold our ground for the time being. You two focus on your mission, and we'll focus on ours."

"You got it!" Hawke grinned.

And, with the last matters now taken care of, Hawke and Ravyn prepared to take flight. The siblings exchanged a confident glance, hazel clashing with green, before whispering something to Grimm and Quil. At the sound of their voices, each bird let out a squawk, and they extended their powerful feathered wings, pushing off from the ground with their talons and rising steadily into the temperate air. Alvar had to keep a paw on his feathered headdress to keep it from blowing away, and Heru's pigtails were mussed by the wind kicked up by the bird's powerful wings.

"Farewell!" Florian called, as the two grew smaller and smaller as they rose on the backs of their surrogate siblings.

"Be safe!" Heru reminded loudly, cupping her paws around her mouth so that her gentle, but lilting voice would carry to them.

"Don't die!" Melody offered in a shout.

"Best of luck!" Alvar bellowed.

Soon, Hawke and Ravyn were above the canopies, their silhouettes dark as they hovered in the golden hue of the painted sunset, and then they were gone, in a flash of shimmering black and brown feathers, though Hawke's farewell cry of, "DESTINY, HERE I COME!!!!" reverberated through the trees for a solid minute after their departure. Alvar, Melody, Heru, and Florian kept their eyes leveled on the sky, shading them with their paws to keep from being blinded by the fading sun, but each let out a sigh as it became clear that the twosome was really gone, and now, all they could do was hope.

"Now, we can only pray that La Fortuna is watching over them, and will grant them a safe return…" Florian remarked sagely, as the small group prepared to reenter the boundaries to the Hamstala Village.

"And that Ravyn's vision was right!" Alvar pointed out.

"They'll be fine…" Melody scoffed, with a dismissive wave of her paw. "They know what they're doing, and with the fate of our village at paw, they'll definitely be trying their best. Worrying will only stress us out, so I say we should have faith in them."

"Yes, lets!" Heru agreed with her hamigo, a warm smile on her fair face.

Alvar sighed, looking back up to the sky as he continued to walk beside Florian. He did have faith in Hawke and Ravyn, and he didn't doubt their abilities in the least, but a nagging feeling of worry continued to gnaw on the back of his mind. He knew they were extremely capable hamsters, and had proved themselves as brave warriors in the past, but he still couldn't help feeling that this new foe – whatever spiritual creature they were up against – was much darker, stronger, and deadlier than any foe they had ever encountered before, and all he could hope for was that Hawke and Ravyn would succeed, and these heroes that Ravyn had seen in her vision would live up to expectations.

"Brother…" He whispered, speaking to his spear in a tone so low that no one else would hear him. "Dark clouds have gathered over the Hamstala. Hopefully, Ravyn and Hawke will be able to bring us the sun."

Up in the sky, skimming across the leafy green treetops just as bugs skip skillfully over the surface of a lake, Hawke and Ravyn were directing Quil and Grimm in the direction that the mysterious stranger in Florian's garden had instructed them. After saying farewell to their friends, the brother-sister combo had fallen silent, neither much in the mood for conversation with the other on such a long journey – it would only create arguments between them. Only when a flash of dark brown caught his keen eye did Hawke speak up, pulling Quil to a stop, and calling Ravyn's attention to the darkness below the treetops.

"What was that?"

Ravyn, pulling Grimm to a stop as well, glanced over at Hawke, following his gaze, which had fallen to the gaps beneath the bushy canopies. "What was what?" She asked him, mildly concerned. "Did you see something?"

Hawke's eyes continued to scan the shadows of the forest below them, trying to recapture what he had seen. After a moment, his brow furrowed, and he remarked slowly, "That's strange…I…I swear, I thought I saw a big _bird_ of some kind…_Quil_, _did you see anything_?" He queried of his surrogate brother, but the hawk merely cawed negatively in response, shaking his feathered head.

Ravyn rolled her eyes. "You were probably imagining things. We don't have time for this nonsense, Hawke. Let's go."

She clicked her tongue, and Grimm shot forward again. Indignantly, Hawke shouted, "Hey! I was not imagining things! I swear, I saw a – would you WAIT _UP_?!" He patted Quil on the head, and the hawk streaked off after Grimm and Ravyn, and soon, the siblings were on their way once more, venturing into the unknown, with nothing but Ravyn's intuitive vision and a few rhyming directions from a wandering poet to guide them.

And beneath the canopies, hidden in the hollow of a tall tree, a great horned owl watched them leave with a malicious gleam in its large golden eyes.

* * *

Night fell, and the stars came out to join the moon in their nightly routine against the blue-black backdrop of nighttime. A small fire burned inside the abandoned temple where Mezra, her followers, and the translucent spirit-form of Sage had taken refuge. As the other followers slept in the corners of the stone building, not chancing sleeping outside in the hazards of the dark woods, Kiri, Danzar, and Maka stood beside the tiny fire, Mezra, her hood lowered, standing in front of them like a general commanding her troops. Sage floated silently about a foot away, staring out into the darkness of the forest with his usual fierce expression. Mezra's ice blue eyes were narrowed as she stared at her three most loyal followers – a scarred, mute brute, a stealthy, sadistic hamgirl, and a cowering, but persistent scaredy-ham.

"Are you three ready for your mission?" Mezra asked them in a low, toneless voice. The book remained in her paws, and the locket still hung around her neck, partially concealed by her cloak. It wasn't so much a question, as it was a command – the three really had no choice.

"Ready, mistress!" Kiri announced, back rigid as she stood before her superior. "And we shall not fail you. With our success in this mission, we will be one step closer to our goal." For the mission, she had a long dagger, in a leather holster, strapped across her back.

Maka merely squeaked in confirmation, hiding his paws behind his back, as if to hide the fact that they were shaking. It mattered very little – his entire body was shaking with fright. A small dagger rested in a holster around his waist – more than likely, he would be too frightened to use it.

Danzar merely lowered his head slowly, and then raised it again, in a drawn-out nod, stone silent. Twin blades, just as menacing and foreboding as his beastly appearance, were strapped across either shoulder, the straps crisscrossing over his broad back.

Mezra smirked. "Very good. I trust you three know your roles as well?"

"Commander!" Kiri piped up, looking very proud of her position as her dark blue eyes flashed.

"L-L-Loo-Lookout…" Maka spoke up, still trembling. It was the only job he was ever allowed, because it was thought that if he were entrusted to do something else, he would fail horribly – which was very possible.

Danzar remained silent, his presence unnerving. Either he was never inclined to speak, even when his superior, Mezra, was the one speaking to him, or he was incapable of uttering even a single syllable for some reason or another. But whenever focus shifted back to him, it was as if the room went cold and tension was all that hung in the air. Regardless, Mezra didn't seem to hold his peculiar silence against him, but noted, "And Danzar, you will be the brute force. Is that right?"

He nodded again, slowly, clear blue eyes stern. It was apparent that he knew his role well – a net was thrown over his shoulder, obviously a tool for their mission.

"Do not fail. Now go."

Mezra's command was quick and crisp. Kiri reacted instantly, bolting for the door and scurrying nimbly down the stone stairs, and Danzar followed close behind, surprisingly quick on his paws as he flitted into the darkness. Maka let out a stifled squeal, and scrambled after his two teammates, hissing desperately, "Don't let me fall behind, guys! I won't survive out in the forest by myself!" And, as his pleading whisper faded into the night, the trio was gone, off to carry out Mezra's wishes.

Now, only Mezra and Sage remained. A thin veil of tension hung in the air between the two villains, as if one were fighting for dominance, over who was the most intimidating. To Sage's complete irritation, Mezra appeared to be winning the silent battle – and it irked him still more that she didn't seem to care about it.

"The beast is ready. It is waiting for my orders." Sage finally spoke up, not turning to look at his companion.

"Do what you want..." Was Mezra's reply, with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "Just make sure that the mutt keeps its paws clean. We cannot have those Hamstala warriors finding us before we're ready for them to."

"Hm…" Sage grunted with indignation, but he extended one translucent paw toward the trees, where a faint growling noise could be heard echoing through the shrouded darkness. For a second, his paw glowed with an ethereal white light, as if he were signaling to something amongst the trees. And then, there came the sound of a feral, bestial cry, and pounding, thudding footsteps, heavy and menacing, bounding away through the forest, in the direction of the Hamstala Village gates. Something…some creature….had been released by Sage's command.

Satisfied, Sage withdrew his paw. "If only I could see the looks on their faces, when they meet their demise face-to-face…"

"You'll see their fear soon enough."

Sage scoffed. "Soon enough, the beast will grow restless. It isn't content to just hurt hamsters – it wants to rip them limb from limb. To kill is its natural instinct. And when it succumbs to its natural tendencies, there won't be any more hams left to be afraid of us."

Mezra closed her eyes. "Perhaps you'll be interested in hearing what Kuno told me earlier this evening."

Something in her statement made the fur on the back of Sage's neck bristle. There remained a foot of distance separating them, but the electric current, pulsing with mutual distaste and tension, continued to flow powerfully between them. "Do tell…" He grunted through gritted teeth, not wanting to ask Mezra for anything, even if he was genuinely curious.

"Two Hamstala warriors – a pair of orphaned brats named after birds – have left the village in pursuit of brave heroes of some kind. The one brat – a female, with dark fur – is something of a mystic, and apparently, she had a vision telling her of brave hamsters in a distant land. She and her 'brother' – an immature hothead – have gone off to find them."

Sage absorbed this news with intrigue. That meant that the Hamstala were beginning to fear….after the attacks, which had left some of the villagers seriously wounded, the Hamstala seemed to be aware that something evil was afoot…and now they were searching for reinforcements. None of the other tribes would help, since all of the Hamalonian tribes were more or less on bad, if any, terms with one another…so they were resorting to outside sources.

How…..typical. And stupid.

"No matter…" Sage remarked, dismissing the news with a wave of his paw. "In the end, they will all meet the same fate."

Mezra couldn't help but smile coldly in response. It was all unfolding like a game, and no matter how many pawns entered the game, she was still unstoppable. Her resolve wound not waver, and no amount of 'brave heroes' would stop her in her quest.

"…My sentiments _exactly_."

* * *

Midnight in Oak Tree Park was beautiful, especially after a snow. The moon was out, the stars were shining in the velvet sky, and not a sound could be heard, except for the occasional chirp of a lone cricket. Only on this night, the park wasn't empty, as the ham-hams had gathered, as planned, in a beautiful, snowy clearing right near the entrance tunnel to the Clubhouse. As promised, each of the ham-hams had, after their owners had fallen asleep, arrived – donning their respectively colored scarves, courtesy of Pashmina – and they were each raring to begin the snowball fight, and add a little spice to the quiet, complacency of their normal routine. The snow was deeper now than it had been that afternoon, but it was manageable, and didn't inhibit their movement too much.

"All right! Everyone's here! Are we all ready for our Snowball Extravaganza?" Boss, the one who had thought of the whole thing, asked excitedly, a twinkle in his eye. He was especially eager to get the game started.

There was a collective cheer, even from those that had been more apprehensive about that night's planned activity, like Oxnard, Cappy, and Pashmina. "We can't start just yet, hams!" Stan pointed out, stepping forward proudly, with his bright red scarf tied jauntily around his neck, eyes gleaming with mischief. "We gotta pick teams! Anyone wanna be a team Captain?"

"I will!" Howdy volunteered, raising his paw.

"And _I_ will!" Dexter, who would never miss an opportunity to challenge his hamspar, Howdy, stepped forward with defiance. "I'll be ten times the Captain that you could ever be, you country hooligan!"

"Like you could, sissy boy!"

"Neanderthal!"

"Smarty-paws!"

"That settles it!" Stan interjected loudly. "Boss-man and I are captains. Now, everyone form a line! We're gonna pick one by one – and with my experience, you all better hope that you wind up with _me_!"

Stan ignored the heated glares of Howdy and Dexter as the remaining hams formed a line, with Boss and Stan standing apart. After tossing Oxnard's lucky seed, Stan wound up with the first pick, and he selected his twin sister, Sandy. She didn't appear surprised by the choice – obviously, the twins had formulated a strategy after leaving the Clubhouse that afternoon. Boss chose Hamtaro with his first choice, and after a couple minutes, the teams had been decided. Due to Siren's absence, the team's were uneven. Stan's team – or, Team Stantastic, as he had dubbed them – consisted of Sandy, Maxwell (who also appeared to be filled in on some kind of plan with the tiger twins), Pashmina, Penelope, Dexter, and Oxnard, and Boss's team, named Team Better Than Stan's Team, was Hamtaro, Bijou, Howdy, Cappy, and Panda.

"Does everyone know the rules?" Boss asked the group collectively. He had given them a rundown of the rules earlier, and he hoped that everyone remembered them.

"We're ready to go, Boss-man!" Hamtaro replied, giving his team leader a paw-five. He was fired up and ready for some snowball action – his heart continued to long for an adventure, but until one appeared, he had decided that this snowball battle would have to do.

"We can take anyzing zat zey can throw at us!" Bijou remarked confidently, stepping up beside her boyham. She had worn her lucky blue ribbons, just for the occasion.

"Yeah right! You guys are like, going down!" An extremely competitive Sandy fired.

"In your dreams!" Cappy bravely piped up – though he rather wished he had brought his pan along for protection.

"Alright, hams….enough smack-talk! It's time to get underway! Remember, once you're hit, you're out, and you have to come back here and sit in a line by the entrance tunnel! The team who manages to knock out all the members of the opposing team wins!" Upon Stan's declaration, a steely silence fell over the group, and the teams huddled together, prepared for the start of the brawl. "On my call….get ready…..get set….SPREAD OUT!!!!!"

The teams sprinted off in opposite directions, one team fanning out across one half of the park, the other spreading out across the other, while carefully avoiding the 'out of bounds' areas that they had decided on earlier, lest the game become too difficult. Within a few minutes, each team was situated. Boss's team had taken refuge on the children's playground.

"Okay team…" Boss whispered, as they huddled underneath the slope of the silver slide. "We've got to split up. I vote that Cappy, Howdy, and Dexter stay here and protect the homefront. If any of Stan's team come around, you get them. Bijou, Hamtaro, and I will be the attackers – we'll go hunting _for_ them. But if we go down, I want you three here, hiding and making sure you don't get hit. Is it a plan, hams?"

"Sounds good!" Panda, trying to get into the game and keep his mind off of worrying over Siren, agreed with a defiant nod of his head. "We won't get hit! And if any of the others step foot on this playground, we'll make sure to hit them!"

"Good luck! Stan sounded like it wasn't his first time at this rodeo…so y'all be careful! I'm sure he's got some kind a plan….'specially with that genius Maxwell on his team!" Howdy warned sagely.

"Yeah, it's going to be tough! Be safe!" Cappy said solemnly.

"We will! Don't you worry! We won't rest until every member of Stan's team is taken down!" Hamtaro vowed bravely, and with that heroic declaration, he, Boss, and Bijou crept out from beneath the slide and began to head toward enemy territory. Soon, the playground was behind them, and the trio were out in the open, with only the trees above and bushes around them, as they kept their keen eyes peeled for a glimpse of the enemy. Nothing was in sighed, save for the natural fauna, and the stark whiteness of the snow….all was still…

For the time being.

* * *

"Sis…"

"What?"

"….I didn't think the weather could _ever_ get this cold!"

Hawke watched as his breath emerged from his mouth in the form of a puffy cloud. Despite his fur, he was shivering in the frigid winter air, as he and Quil, along with Ravyn and Grimm, were flying among the stars. The trees of the Hamalonian Forest had faded hours before, in favor of lakes, fields, odd-looking, man-made huts, and even huge, metal contraptions that had caused them to fly so high their breath had come in short ragged gasps. Gradually, as their journey continued and day turned swiftly into night, the weather had changed from lovely and temperate to a level of cold that had never touched the Hamalonian Forest before, and thus, was foreign to the bird-named siblings. Foreign….and very unwelcome.

"We're not in the Hamalonian Forest anymore, Hawke…" Ravyn replied matter-of-factly, though she too, was shivering from head to toe. "The weather changes here – it isn't warm all year, like we're used to. This must be what 'winter' is like in the outside world…"

"What's this white stuff?" Hawke asked, as a few specks of white fluttered around him, swirling as they were stirred by Quil's immense wings.

"Florian told me about it once. I believe it's called 'snow.'"

"Whatever it is, it's like water! Look – it melts on my tongue! How interesting!" Hawke immediately began to amuse himself by sticking his tongue out and moving his head from side to side, trying to catch snowflakes. He became a little too distracted, and nearly toppled off of Quil's back, letting out a squeak and grasping at his surrogate brother's neck for dear life after barely catching himself. Ravyn watched, unable to believe that they had been raised by the same creature.

"…You truly are an idiot."

Ravyn turned her vivid hazel eyes to the landscape below. She knew that they were close now. It looked like the area thatwandering poet had described to her…there were a few human-made huts congregated in one place, like some kind of village, and there…almost below them…was a clump of oak trees, like a mini-forest…and her senses were ringing. The same feeling she had experienced during her vision earlier that day now grew stronger, and had gradually increased in intensity as they had drawn closer to their destination. Now, it was just as vivid as it had been during the actual vision, and her spiritual sense was directing her downward…telling her that they had found the place they were seeking, and, nearby, the hamsters she had dreamt of…

"We're here." She announced. She whispered something to Grimm, and the sleek black raven changed course, heading downward now in a steady descent.

Hawke's face lit up in a bright, exuberant smile. "Really!?" His ears perked forward, and his bright green eyes began to eagerly scan the land below them. "We're here! Alright! Destiny, I've answered your call! Here I come!" As excited as ever, the hamboy directed Quil to begin slowing down, and the hawk began to alter his course as well, following Grimm and Ravyn closely.

The air was still frigid as the two birds, gliding down silently from the obsidian sky, alighted delicately on the ground, kicking up a bit of the collected snow as they did so. Reluctantly, Hawke slid down Quil's wing – landing, with a sharp yelp, in three inches of freezing cold whiteness. "This snop stuff is _everywhere_! I can't stand it! I miss the forest already!" Hawke hissed, as the biting cold seeped in through his thin layer of fur.

"Snow, Hawke. Not '_snop_.'" Ravyn wrinkled her nose as she slipped off of Grimm, landing in the snow as well. She tried to appear as if the temperature didn't bother her, but her shoulders shook as she hunched them, trying to conserve some body heat. She looked around with her bright hazel eyes, but could see nothing but trees and bushes. Not a hamster in sight.

"Whatever it is, it's _evil_. Pure white, cold, _evil_."

"Focus, Hawke. We're on a mission, remember?"

"Of course!" The brown-furred hamboy was instantly drawn back into reality. He regarded his sister with curious green eyes. "Sis, do you sense anything? Like the hamsters from your vision?"

Ravyn only half-heard him. She had already immersed herself within her spiritual side, losing touch with reality as she closed her vibrant hazel eyes. Her senses were heightened, her mind's capabilities enhanced beyond normal level, and she could feel a strong power, spiritual in nature, nearby…from multiple points. Meaning multiple hamsters, just as she had seen in her vision. She sensed them very close…so close, it almost made her brain hurt to focus on it. With a jolt, her eyes snapped open.

"They're here…" She whispered.

"Where?" Hawke asked sternly, looking around with narrowed eyes.

"Come on. I can still sense them."

Ravyn, firmly grounded back in reality, signaled to their feathered friends to wait for them there, and then motioned for Hawke to follow her, their eyes meeting in a knowing glance. Hawke knew that Ravyn's senses were rarely wrong, and he willingly relinquished his desire to be leader to instead follow his mystic sister, who was trekking forward as if she knew the foreign terrain like the back of her paw. His body was now trembling with both cold and excitement, as Ravyn led him stealthily across the snow, through the trees, and into a clump of bushes, where they forged forward steadily, Ravyn's senses growing stronger and stronger all the while. They were close, and now, both siblings could feel it.

"_Get ready, destiny…"_ The hero wannabe thought proudly, his heart swelling, not even caring that, as he and Ravyn ventured through the bushes, they were getting covered in the snow that clung to the leaves, so that their fur was turning white as the cold droplets clung to them. "_Here I come_!"

* * *

Bijou sighed after a few minutes of walking. They hadn't seen a thing – not a trace of Stan's team anywhere. "I am sure zat zey found a good hiding spot!" She remarked wearily, sitting down in the snow for a moment to rest, her blue eyes discouraged and pigtails drooping. "Zey could be _anywhere_!"

Boss scratched his chin, coming to a stop beside her. They were now in a small clearing, surrounded by four tall trees that loomed like watchful guardians, allowing the silver moon to peek through at them through the dark leaves. "That, or Stan really did have some kind of plan up that scheming sleeve of his…this isn't his first snowball fight, after all."

Hamtaro walked forward a few paces, still scanning his surroundings eagerly, but froze when a faint sound captured his attention. Ears perking forward, he listened again, but a silence had fallen in the wake of that small noise. All was quiet…

…much, _much_ too quiet.

"What is wrong, Hamtaro?" Bijou asked him.

"I…I think I heard something…" Hamtaro answered, keeping his voice low.

Bijou and Boss were instantly on the alert, now all three on their feet, looking around for any sign of the enemy. Then, all three heard the sound – like someone, or, rather, someham, had rustled a bush. But, as they looked to all the bushes nearby, they caught no signs of movement. Nothing, but the rustling continued, getting slowly louder, until…

"Caught ya!"

Boss, Bijou, and Hamtaro looked up to see Stan standing triumphantly on a tree branch several feet above them, a small pile of snowballs beside him. The debonair smirk on his face resembled a cat having just cornered a mouse. The trio looked up at their enemy in horror – they couldn't throw a snowball that high, but Stan could easily hit _them_ from his vantage point. "First rule of snowball fights, amateurs…always attack from _above_!" The tiger-striped flirt taunted, picking up a snowball with one paw and preparing to hurl it at the three members of the opposite team.

"He's right on top of us!" Bijou screamed.

"Run!" Hamtaro yelled, turning tail to sprint away from Stan, but as he, Bijou, and Boss prepared to run away. To their despair, they found themselves trapped – on another tree, directly behind them, Sandy had emerged, perched high on a branch herself, with her own pile of snowballs – and one ready in each paw, and a frighteningly gleeful look of malice on her face. She was blocking their escape.

"Like, there's nowhere to run, fools!" Sandy teased them.

"We have you cornered!" Dexter emerged from another tree, in a similar fashion, snowballs at the ready.

"Prepare to lose!" Even Pashmina had gotten into the game as she and Penelope appeared on the last of the four trees, completely trapping Hamtaro, Bijou, and Boss in a circle.

The trio realized that their number was up. Hamtaro, in the face of sure doom, situated himself in front of Bijou to protect her, knowing that their loss was imminent. Boss faced his fate with chest puffed out, not allowing himself to be scared. Even Bijou showed bravery, as she held on to Hamtaro's shoulders, supporting him in their final moments. "Hit us with your best shot!" Was Boss's last remark, as he prepared to take the freezing cold hits that were aimed in his direction. Hamtaro, Bijou, and Boss braced themselves…

"Get ready, then!" Stan declared proudly. "Team…aim….and...FIRE!!!!!"

And the snow began to fly.

"!!!!!!"

* * *

Cappy, Panda, and Howdy heard the trio of cries from their teammates somewhere in the distance, and their spirits fell, stomachs dropping, as they remained perched atop the playground. Cappy shivered, as Bijou's shriek and Hamtaro and Boss's yells faded away into an eerie, unsettling silence, and he glanced at his companions worriedly, a look that they reciprocated.

"D'you….d'you reckon that….?" Howdy asked, his voice trailing.

"They got taken down." Panda nodded solemnly, immersing himself in the game. "Stan's team's going to be coming for us, now. We've got to avenge the others!"

Cappy shuddered. "Man…it sounds like Stan's team is brutal….did you hear those screams?"

"They squealed louder than a pig in a barrel! Golly gee, I'm scared now!" Howdy remarked in a low voice, peering around through his squinted eyes. "I don't want them to creep up on us like a coupla ghosts!"

Panda felt the fur on the back of his neck stand at attention. Alert, he peered around at their surroundings. There were numerous trees, and various bushes, where any member of the enemy tea could possibly be hiding, just waiting for an opportunity to strike. From how it sounded, Stan really did have a dastardly plan on his paws….and they were next in line to feel his unending wrath.

_Rshhhhh_.

A faint rustling echoed across the playground. Ad it was coming from the bushes….directly next to where he, Howdy, and Cappy stood, next to the slide.

"What was that?" Cappy asked meekly, his eyes wide. He began to tremble, tucking hi nose fearfully beneath the warm safety of his scarf.

"Shhhh!" Howdy reprimanded him sharply, placing a paw to his lips. "They'll hear you!"

Panda watched, frozen to the spot, as the bushes rustled louder, only a foot away from where he and and his teammates stood. His mind stopped functioning – he didn't move his paws in haste to make a snowball, nor did he flee in terror. He just watched, like a statue, as the sound grew louder and the figures drew closer. Howdy and Cappy crowded against him, all of them trembling, and they watched, eyes widening with terror, as two figures emerged from the bushes – not Stan's team – but two hamster-sized monsters made of snow, with claws reaching out, wishing to rend them limb from limb, each of them letting out a muffled sort of cry as they burst out into the open.

To the cowering trio, there was but one explanation.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! ABOMINABLE SNOW HAMS!!!!"

* * *

**CFB**_:_ Another chapter done. Sorry it took so long…I'll try and get better at this whole _time_ thing…

_**Next time:**_ **"We all might as well get 'HERO' tattooed across our foreheads, because weird hamsters keep on showing up, asking for help, and we're stupid enough to listen every single time! What, does it say 'HEROES LIVE HERE' on every map, where Oak Tree Park should be? I mean, cats….give us a break!" **


	4. Windchime

**CFB:** I'm not dead! I _did_ intend to revive this in January, but there were some unfortunate personal circumstances I was dealing with. I'm basically a non-factor now, having not been around for so long, so I don't blame anyone for not wanting to read this now, but hey…I'll try. I want to finish this. When the semester starts, I'm taking extra classes and working 3 jobs…but I'm going to try and get on a normal writing schedule again.

Also…I was in England for a while. So…yeah.

The song for this chapter is The Skies of Galway, by Emiko Shiratori.

**_Disclaimer_**: Hamtaro isn't mine, but my OC's and original concepts are, other than those that belong to Theta Jones, who is still aiding me behind the scenes.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3:** Windchime

The barrage of snow from the paws of the enemy halted as the screams of Howdy, Panda, and Cappy reached their bewildered teammate's ears. Stan, Sandy, Pashmina, Penelope, and Dexter had ceased fire instantly, surprised by the sudden disruption, and each ham-ham, including the now snow-pelted Hamtaro, Boss, and Bijou, were listening with alert ears and standing with backs rigid. The loud shrieks continued to echo in the night air, coming from the direction of the jungle gym.

"That's our team! I wonder what's happening to them?" Hamtaro remarked loudly over the still-reverberating shouts.

And then, as quickly as the screams had begun, the air fell still. No sound could be heard, save for the heavy breathing of Hamtaro, Bijou, and Boss. A chill slithered up their spines, and the ham-hams up in the trees exchanged worried glances. The snowball battle lost all importance as an icy chill enveloped the small clearing.

"Do you think the rest of your team got to them?" Hamtaro asked worriedly, tilting his head to peer up at Stan, who was still perched on his tree branch. However, Stan's concerned expression was not consoling, and made Hamtaro's shoulders tense.

"No way, dude….we told Ox and Max to keep watch back over by the Clubhouse entrance, and those screams came from the playground, I think..." Stan replied, his voice trailing off.

"Then….what…?" Pashmina, huddling closer to Penelope, asked the question that was present on all of their minds. The air was completely still, causing more chills to haunt the ham-hams.

Dexter swallowed his fear, and remarked in a manner quite unlike his usual self, "Should we go check it out? I'm worried that they've been hurt…or worse."

"But by what?" Boss asked, as the hamsters that had held vantage points up in the trees now came scurrying down to join those already on the snow-covered ground. Sandy and Stan exchanged perplexed looks, and little Penelope huddled closer to Pashmina in an attempt to stave off both cold and fear. Boss continued, every pair of keen eyes on him, "What could have possibly happened…the park is empty at this hour; even the birds are asleep! And I know this park like the backside of my paw…"

"It doesn't matter what it is!" Hamtaro bravely declared, staring off into the night in the direction that the screams had resonated from. The fur on the back of his neck stood erect, as if he could sense something ominous in the distance. "We have to go and save them no matter what!"

With that, Hamtaro bolted off toward his three imperiled friends, hoping to find them unharmed, but ready to face any possible danger that might be awaiting. "Hamtaro!" Bijou called after him, but there was no changing his mind – his blood was racing, his heart pounding, and something in his heart had reawakened, and was pushing his legs steadily forward toward the unknown. He disappeared into the underbrush, and the other ham-hams could do nothing but exchange determined, yet worried looks, and chase after their heroic friend. Whatever horrors were plaguing their friends, they would put their snow battle behind them and do whatever was necessary to help them, even if it meant facing some kind of mortal enemy…again.

Hamtaro reached the scene a few seconds before the others, bursting through the underbrush and coming to a halt in front of the playground. And what he saw there was definitely not what he had been expecting to see. He had imagined, maybe, that a stray cat had been meandering around or maybe even a raccoon had frightened his friends somehow, but he certainly hadn't been expecting…._this_.

Howdy, Panda, and Cappy were standing on the snow-covered ground, completely unscathed, but breathing heavily. And in front of them, near a clump of bushes, were two other hamsters Hamtaro had never seen before, one male, laying dazed in the snow, and the other, female, standing with her arms crossed, looking irked. Both strangers were partially covered with dripping snow, making them shiver noticeably as the cold seeped into them, and the female looked less than pleased about it. The male, on the other paw, was rolling his eyes around and looking every which way, disoriented. The female began to brush some snow from her dark fur, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Needless to say, Hamtaro was confused. And, judging by the befuddled looks on his hammo's faces as they caught up with him and encountered the strange scene, he could tell that he wasn't the only one – for once. He exchanged a befuddled look with Bijou and Boss.

"What's going on?" Stan asked, brows raised in surprise.

Oddly enough, it was not Howdy, Panda, or Cappy who answered. It was the female hamster, her sharp eyes flickering onto the newcomers like two shards of hazel ice. "Is _assault_ the typical method of greeting in this part of the world?" she asked flippantly, tilting her head to the side. "A typical 'hello' or a paw-raising might have sufficed…"

"….Heke?" Hamtaro asked. What was this hamgirl talking about? And what was with her headband, with a sleek black feather sticking out the top? As far as he knew, hamsters didn't normally dress that way.

"So….many…..snopballs…" The male hamster groaned from his spot on the ground, placing one cold paw on his forehead, squinting his vivid green eyes shut in an effort to regain his senses. "They came….from _everywhere_…."

"For the third time, it's snow, not _snop_, Hawke…now get up, you look like a fool."

Hamtaro, Bijou, Boss, Stan, Sandy, Dexter, Pashmina, and Penelope looked from their three friends, to the two strange hams, and then so on and so forth, like watching a ping-pong match. This was definitely not a scenario they would have deemed likely, and there were several questions that needed to be asked….such as who were the two hamsters, and what could have caused their friends to scream with such terror? A puzzle lay before them, and they needed to put the pieces together to discover the truth.

"Uh…Y'see, hams…." Howdy started, turning to his friends, about to offer an explanation for their screaming earlier and solve the mystery. "We….uh…made a lil _mistake_…"

Cappy's cheeks turned bright scarlet, paws fidgeting restlessly with his scarf. "We were holding down the fort, just like you asked us to, Boss, and then the bushes started rustling, so we thought the enemy was coming, especially after we heard you screaming…but then, these two _huge_ abominable snow-hams came out of nowhere and were headed straight for us!"

"Abominable snow-hams?" Pashmina exclaimed, paws flying to her face in fear, as Penelope cowered behind her, trembling with fright. "How gasp-P!"

Panda nodded, though a grimace was on his face, as if he were ashamed of something. "So we bombarded them with as many snowballs as we could….but….as it turned out…they _weren't_ abominable snow-hams."

At this, the female hamster, still brushing some snow from her dark grey fur, smiled dryly at the newcomers and greeted in an emotionless tone, "Pleased to meet you. My name is Ravyn, formerly known as abominable snow-ham #1."

Her hazel eyes never shimmered; they remained completely stagnant. She motioned unenthusiastically to the dazed male. "And this is my idiot brother Hawke, formerly known as abominable snow-ham #2. Get _up_, Hawke, you're making a terrible first impression."

The male hamster at last staggered to his feet, wincing, though a meager smile crossed his face. He had recovered from his snow-covered ordeal well enough to turn his sparkling green eyes onto the ham-hams, his voice brimming with sincerity and pride, brown and white fur still damp from the snow, but his spirits apparently high.

"Hello!" He greeted, with a polite inclination of his head. "It is an honor to meet you, brave hamsters of Oak Tree Park! My sister and I hail from the dark depths of the Hamalonian Forest, and we have traveled all this way just to meet _you_!"

All fell silent.

The ham-hams stared at the strangers in baffled surprise. The strangers stared back.

As usual, it was Hamtaro who broke the silence.

"…_Heke_?"

Never ones to deny hospitality, even to strangers, the ham-hams had welcomed Hawke and Ravyn with open, though confused arms, into the Clubhouse so they could recover from being assailed with snow by Howdy, Panda, and Cappy. They had met up with Maxwell and Oxnard at the Clubhouse entrance and filled them in on what they knew about the situation, so now Hawke and Ravyn, wrapped tightly in warm blankets from Boss's storeroom, were sitting on the plush couch in the sitting area, with the ham-hams sitting in front of them on the floor.

"Here, this will warm you guys right up!" Pashmina, ever the helpful, presented the strange visitors with cups of steaming almond tea. "It's a Clubhouse favorite!"

Ravyn readily accepted the mug with a short, "Thank you," but Hawke appeared a tad bit apprehensive. He cautiously picked up the mug, sniffing it with confusion in his eyes. Hamtaro eager to be helpful, whispered in an attempt to be secretive, "You're supposed to drink it!"

Hawke glanced at him. "I know…" He murmured defensively, not wanting to look like a fool. "It's just….a curious smell, that's all….what's in this strange brew?"

"Almonds!" Cappy informed him brightly. "And a tiny hint of honey. It's really good!"

Hawke, nonetheless, remained hesitant. Carefully, he took a small sip, wincing slightly. As the warm liquid ran down his parched throat, his green eyes lit up like neon, and a huge smile spread across his face. "This foreign concoction is astounding!" He exclaimed, eagerly downing another gulp. "Ravyn! Have you ever tasted anything this delicious?" He turned to his sister, expression expectant.

"It is quite good," Ravyn conceded, taking a dainty sip. She turned her attention to the smiling group of hamsters seated before them. "Thank-Q for allowing us into your home, kind hamsters. Especially at such a late hour. We are sorry for intruding in such a way."

"Oh, eet is no trouble at all!" Bijou assured her with a wave of her paw. The boys in the clubhouse outnumbered the girls, so she was always eager to welcome another female into the ranks. "Our doors are always open!"

"And we did kinda attack yeh with snow…" Howdy admitted sheepishly, for once not cracking a joke. "I guess it was the least we coulda done fer yeh…"

"It's quite alright….um….I'm sorry, I'm afraid we have yet to learn all of your names," Ravyn replied, looking from one face to another expectantly.

The ham-hams went around in a circle, introducing themselves to Hawke and Ravyn. The foreigners politely nodded their heads at each new friend, smiling genially. "This is quite a large group you have here. What is your tribe called?" Hawke asked brightly.

"Tribe?" Dexter asked, confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Ravyn chided her brother, "They don't have hamster tribes in this part of the world, Hawke."

"Ah!" Maxwell looked as though he had been struck with a bolt of sudden inspiration. "_That's_ why your headdresses look familiar! The Hamalonian Forest is home to several Ancient Hamster Civilizations – there were once hundreds of different hamster tribes, all within that single forest, living in harmony with nature and building their own villages, hidden away from the world! Why, I was just reading about ancient tribes the other day!" As he shared this knowledge, the eyes of many of the ham-hams began to gleam with a familiar sense of excitement.

Ravyn smiled faintly, but there was a sadness to her voice that alarmed the ham-hams. Her eyes were clouded with grim knowledge the ham-hams were unaware of, for she had seen horrors that they had not. "You are correct – the Hamalonian Forest was once teeming with different hamster tribes, all flourishing. But there are only a pawful left. Hawke and I belong to one of the more prominent ones, and one of the oldest – the Hamstala."

"What happened to the rest of the tribes?" Pashmina asked, her eyes concerned. Penelope, sitting beside her, looked worried to hear the answer as she squeaked a meager, "Ookwee."

"They were wiped out, one by one, by deforestation and other factors…" Hawke sighed, his eyes distant. A hush fell over the Clubhouse as he gave them the somber news. Seeing the effect his words had on the ham-hams, he put on a half-hearted cheery smile and added, "But the indigenous hams are still fighting to keep the sanctity of the Hamalonian Forest alive! Our tribe is flourishing, for the most part!"

This seemed to brighten the mood in the room, somewhat. But Ravyn, ever the realist, had the mission she was on firmly in the forefront of her mind. "Well…everything within the Hamstala Village has been mostly peaceful, except for some…_mysterious_ circumstances recently."

Hamtaro, always curious, pricked his ears forward. "Heke?" His brow furrowed in confusion, and he felt a familiar chill slither up his spine. Little did he know that his question would set of a chain of events directly related to his not-so-subtle wishes for new adventures. "What _kind_ of mysterious circumstances?"

The bird-named siblings exchanged a knowing look. It was now or never. They had to reveal their purpose in coming to the Clubhouse. They just hoped that the ham-hams would take them seriously.

Ravyn, more articulate than her brother, began the tale. "There has been some inner turmoil in our village recently, between the elder council and our leader, Chief Mael. Our defenses were a bit low one night, due to a heated and over-long council meeting, and…there was an attack."

A sinister gloom infected the room. Hamtaro glanced around, and saw most of the ham-hams looking at their foreign visitors with rapt attention, though some looked afraid to hear the rest of the story, Penelope clinging to her surrogate sister Pashmina's paw and Cappy edging closer to Panda, who looked solemn. Boss had his paws crossed sternly over his chest, and Howdy didn't look like he was even remotely close to telling a corny joke.

Ravyn continued, now that she had their full attention, "We do not know what creature was responsible for it, but I was able to sense a great spiritual power from it. It has continued to attack us since then, always after nightfall. A few hamsters have suffered grievous injuries, and are currently being treated by the village healer, Heru."

"That sounds, like totally awful!" Sandy sympathized, her shoulders drooping.

"Wait a moment…" Dexter's brow furrowed. "You say you sensed a great…_spiritual_ power from whatever beast attacked your village?"

Maxwell, his knowledge never failing, quoted almost word for word from his recent reading, "The Hamstala, and other Hamalonian Forest tribes, were well-known for their line of mystics and high priests, who had a great connection to the spirit realm…in fact, it is rumored that the great hamster explorer Rasco Hamboa was banished to the spirit realm by an angry priestess in the Hamalonain Forest hundreds of years ago!"

"Um…that actually happened…he was trying to seize some Hamstala ground…" Hawke replied tentatively.

"High Priestess Frinda did not take kindly to trespassers," Ravyn added sagely.

"So…all of that is real?" Panda asked, looking somewhat worried. Ever since the ham-hams had discovered Siren's legendary origins several months before, he had been leery of all things concerning magic, the supernatural, or anything of the sort. "The spirit realm, and mystics? All of it?"

"Now hams, I think we all learned not to doubt anything after what's happened to us these past few months…" Dexter pointed out, and there was an affirmative murmur in response from just about everyone in the room. "If were-hams, the Guardian, and a magical rock that can control the sleep of all hamkind are real, then I'm sure the spirit realm is."

"Were-hams are real?" Hawke asked, a look of mild surprise on his face.

"Sure are – we met one over the summer!" Cappy exclaimed.

"Good to know."

Ravyn nodded in agreement, and brought the conversation back to subject. "We would not be here if such things weren't real. In fact, I have first-paw experience with the more spiritual side of our world."

Boss, his arms still crossed, questioned skeptically, "How do you mean?"

Hawke jerked his thumb toward his sister. "Ravyn here is our village mystic – we hadn't had one for a few years, but when Ravyn started to show mystic qualities at a young age, she was given the title. She has a knack for seeing visions and all sorts of creepy stuff like that. And earlier today, she had a vision about..well…" He hesitated, his gaze flickering to Ravyn, to see if she wanted to finish the tale herself.

Ravyn sighed, her eyes looking a bit weary. "I suppose there's no point in beating around the bush. Earlier today, I had a very vivid vision…about this place. And I followed the trail of the vision all the way here, to your Clubhouse. I was drawn here for a reason beyond my control and understanding."

The room fell dead silent. Not liking the abrupt shift in mood, nor the despondent looks on the faces of the ham-hams as they tried to process exactly what the avian siblings were getting at, Hawke decided to quickly lay it all out on the line. With green eyes agleam and a hopeful note in his voice, the brown-patterned hamster declared,

"Basically…in order to defeat the strange force that's been attacking our village, we're going to need your help! It's fate that we were brought here today, to meet you and enlist your powers! So please, brave ham-hams…help us save our village!"

Hamtaro's eyes widened, and he felt the familiar rush of excitement flutter through his heart as Hawke's words settled over him. Had another opportunity for adventure really just presented itself to them? It had been so long since he had tasted the wonderful, and sometimes terrifying thrill of discovering a new place, or encountering some unknown task or trial. But, as he glanced around at his hammos, he realized that he was likely the only one who felt that way – Boss looked shell-shocked, Howdy's mouth was agape, Oxnard looked terrified, and Sandy, who had been fiddling with her gymnastics ribbon, dropped the instrument on the ground.

"You mean…you want our help to defeat whatever it is that's attacking your village?" Maxwell asked nervously, his eyes flashing with worry.

Ravyn nodded, her gaze steely. "Yes, that is exactly why we have come here."

"But…what can we do? We're really just ordinary hamsters!" Pashmmina protested, fidgeting nervously with her scarf. Penelope squeaked in agreement.

Hawke grinned widely, undeterred by their reluctance. "Nonsense! Ravyn would not have been drawn to you hams if there wasn't something special about you! You must be capable!"

Ravyn smirked. "For as much doubt as there is in the powers of mystics, what Hawke says is true. My visions have never lied to me before, and there is no reason that my senses would be steering me wrong now. I followed my instincts right to this place…well, that, and we received some directions from a very odd hamster with a strange haircut…he seemed to know exactly where this place was."

"Plus, it was fate!" Hawke declared cheerfully.

"Not quite, but you get the point…there is no mistake." His sister added.

The ham-hams began to exchange looks with one another. Could this really be happening _again_? Sure, they had enjoyed some down time since the defeats of both Spyke and Steel, but _another_ adventure? Just hearing about it made most of their muscles ache with fatigue, remembering the toll that their previous escapades in both Hamwall and Dreamland had on them. Were they really ready to leap into another (likely) dangerous journey, just because two strange hamsters with feathered headbands had suddenly shown up at their door – one claiming to be a psychic, and the other with an enthusiasm level that rivaled Hamtaro?

Stan was much more vocal about his opinion than the others who were less-than-giddy about this sudden request from their new hammos. Crossing his arms defiantly over his chest, he stood and remarked, though he was unable to look their guests in the eye as he spoke, "Well, I, for one, will in _no_ way take part in this! Every time we go off and try and be heroes, we get chased by evil dudes or attacked by gnarly villains! My legs still hurt from when the were-ham chased us last time!"

"Stan…" Sandy chastised lightly. "Like, chill!"

Stan, however, was on a roll. He continued to rant, sounding both irritated and frustrated, "We all might as well get 'HERO' tattooed across our foreheads, because weird hamsters keep on showing up, asking for help, and we're stupid enough to listen every single time! What, does it say 'HEROES LIVE HERE' on every map, where Oak Tree Park should be? I mean, cats….give us a break for once! Just once, it would be nice to have some time to ourselves without being recruited to go and face some wicked dangerous monster or something…"

This time, the silence that fell over the room was awkward. Stan remained defiant, though still could not muster up enough courage to look a surprised Hawke and Ravyn in the eye, and it appeared as though many of the ham-hams were thinking along the same lines as he. Others seemed torn between a desire to be helpful, and a wish to remain safely in their Clubhouse, sipping tea and eating sunflower seeds instead of fighting unknown enemies. When no one spoke for a good minute, Ravyn delicately cleared her throat, and set her teacup down on the table beside the couch.

"It seems to me as though you ham-hams need some time to talk the proposal over in private. Hawke and I will go wait in the tunnels…when you reach a decision, we will be glad to hear it."

She hopped off of the couch, and strode coolly over to the door, not offering so much as a glance back at the ham-hams as she disappeared out the door and into the tunnel. Hawke however, flashed them a quick smile before dashing over to join her. But before he disappeared, he turned back to the conflicted ham-hams and said, his voice somewhat sad, and his bright green eyes worried, "Listen…we're sorry for springing this on you so suddenly, but…we really need your help, and it would mean a lot of you would hamteam with us."

And with that, he vanished out into the tunnel after Ravyn.

The second they were gone, Stan took the opportunity to further his point. "Ham-hams, we can't go off on another random adventure! I've had enough danger to last me til I'm old and grey! Not that I'll even _get_ grey…I mean, my fur is flawless, after all…"

"Well, like, you didn't have to be so rude to Hawke and Ravyn!" Sandy berated her twin, smacking him on the shoulder with her paw.

"Can you blame me?" Stan snorted, unfazed by his sister's anger. "I'm sick of all these things always happening to us! It's like the hamster world has it in for us! I would like to take a break from being chased and having evil hamsters threaten to kill us!"

Maxwell, taking a logical route to their dilemma, wisely said, "I am not exactly thrilled about the idea of going off on another adventure either – and one that will likely be very dangerous, to boot – but it sounds as though their plea for help is very sincere. And I would hate to turn them away, especially since they have travelled such a long way to see us."

"Yeah, but when you think about it, the last two adventures we had were more or less flukes…" Panda said thoughtfully, his face clouded in worry. "I mean, we had the Guardian and a legendary sword at Hamwall, and the Staff of Dreams and backup from the knights in Dreamland. We don't know anything about all of this mystic stuff."

Pashmina's brow furrowed in concern. "I would hate to let them down, because they seem to really need our help…but this whole business with the spirit realm sounds scary! We don't even know what we're getting into!" There was a quiver in her kind voice.

"Ookwee!" Penelope squeaked.

Howdy laughed, trying his best to find some humor in the situation. "Well, since we are 'heroes,' I reckon I'd rather just stay _here_! We ain't called 'theroes,' so why would we go _there_? Har har!" He chuckled at his own joke, though no one else seemed to find it entertaining. Dexter rolled his eyes in aggravation.

"This is serious, Howdy! We don't have the time – or the low I.Q. – for your mediocre jokes!"

Howdy was about to snap back at his nemesis, but Boss intervened, stepping between the two and declaring to the entire group, "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere, hams! I say we take a vote on this, and settle this matter. Majority rules! Snoozer is the tie-breaker, like ususal."

From his corner, lazing soundly in his sock, Snoozer drowsily remarked, "You lose 100% of the seeds you do not eat…zuzuzu…"

His words, however, were ignored, as the ham-hams prepared to take a vote. Boss stood in front of the group, prepared to count the raised paws. However, just from the negative vibe in the room, it appeared as though most of them would be voting against the idea of taking another journey to a faraway land. "Alright, here we go guys…all in favor - "

"Wait a minute, hams!"

Hamtaro had been biting his tongue as he listened to those opposed to the idea speak, but now, he felled compelled to let his opinion be known. His brown eyes shining with a familiar heroic light, he stood up, and looked around at all of his friends – those ham-hams he had faced true terror with on two separate occasions, where they had luckily emerged as victors both times. Though it was easy to say that their previous triumphs were flukes, and merely the result of fortunate circumstances at the time, Hamtaro couldn't help but feel drawn to this new opportunity. He had the resilient spirit of a valiant hero burning within him, and now that they were facing the prospect of adventure again, he couldn't help but feel that the potential thrill of the unknown far outweighed the dangers. Plus, Ravyn and Hawke had come all this way just to ask them, specifically, because of a prophetic vision – that couldn't have possible been a fluke, and he was sure that destiny had been pulling some strings to bring the Hamalonian natives to their doorstep.

Drawing in a deep breath, Hamtaro prepared to address his hammos. "Are we really going to turn down this opportunity? I know that the last two adventures really tired us out, but just because we've faced some pretty dangerous things in the past, doesn't mean we turn away from a ham-ham – or an entire village of ham-hams – in need!"

The orange-furred ham paused for a moment, allowing his words to soak into his friend's minds. Several of them exchanged conflicted looks, though they now seemed to be considering the possibilities in a new light. Maxwell was smiling, Boss nodding his head in approval, and Bijou was looking up at him with encouragement gleaming in her eyes. Hamtaro felt a surge of hope, and continued,

"These hamsters came to _us_! Not any other hams – us. Sounds to _me_ as though we were meant to help them. And I don't know about you, but if we told them no and sent them back to their home without helping, I would feel pretty blash-T with myself. Like I always say…"

"A hammo in need is a friend indeed!" Bijou, in a show of support, stood up beside her courageous boyham and took hold of his paw, finishing the signature phrase for him. "I agree with Hamtaro! If we were not meant to help zese hams, zen zey would not have found us in ze first place!"

There was a collective murmur of agreement amongst the ham-hams, as they began to see the opportunity as favorable, rather than undesirable. The dim dreariness in their eyes began to brighten, turning into hope and happiness. "It sounds really dangerous…" Cappy considered, tapping his chin with his paw, but his thoughtful look was quickly replaced with a jubilant smile. "But if it means helping out a hammo, then I'm in! I've got the perfect hat for the occasion, too!"

"Like, I'm game!" Sandy grinned, her brown eyes shining as she began to twirl her gymnastics ribbon with a new enthusiasm. "We like, may have faced some serious danger before, but that doesn't mean we can't beat some bad-ham tail again!"

"Me too! Most of our owners are away for the week anyway, so it's perfect timing!" Pashmina raised her paw, Penelope squealing, "Ookwee!" beside her.

Oxnard looked worried, but said, his stomach letting out a faint rumble, "I've heard of some really delicious berries that can be found in the Hamalonian Forest….they sound really tasty." In his own way, he was showing that he was in favor.

Stan grumbled reluctantly, though he was still mostly opposed to the idea, "Well, when you put it that way…can't leave a ham-dude and dudette hanging…there better be some beautiful hamgirls in this forest…"

Boss threw his paws in the air with vigor, obviously in support of the idea is well. The atmosphere in the Clubhouse had changed from doom and gloom to cheer and excitement in a matter of seconds, and now, the outcome of the vote seemed certain – but much different than it would have been from before Hamtaro made his plea to them. "Alright, ham-hams! Time to vote – all those in favor, let out a good hamcheer!"

"Hip-hip-HAMHA!" Each voice crowed in unison.

Amidst the celebratory cheers, Hamtaro, his paw still entwined with Bijou's, looked at his girlham in appreciation. "Thanks, Bij…" He said earnestly, offering her a triumphant smile. "We make a good hamteam!"

"It was no beeg deal," Bijou shrugged, though her cheeks glowed pink. "But are you ready to face a new foe, my brave hero?"

There was a teasing note in her voice, but the subject matter was serious, and they both knew it. Though they now knew that their third adventure would soon be underway, the possibility of danger, and the unknown villain that they would be facing in the darkness of the Hamalonian Forest, was lurking in the back of their minds. Hamtaro, his smile never faltering, merely grasped her paw tighter and said, his voice brimming with confidence,

"If we all stick together, we can face anything."

Panda, having warmed up to the idea, crossed the room to deliver the good news to Hawke and Ravyn, the ham-hams waiting with grins on their faces and their excitement building. He opened the door, and the avian siblings strolled back in, Hawke looking anxious to hear their decision, Ravyn appearing far more stoic. "Well?" Hawke asked nervously, green eyes hopeful.

"We'll do it!" Hamtaro informed him cheerfully.

Hawke let out a gleeful yell, triumphant fists in the air. Ravyn, however, merely offered a sly smirk, breaking away from the cool mask she had been wearing, and winked at them. "I _knew_ you would."

"Oh…because you're psychic?" Oxnard asked, looking a bit fearful.

"Actually, I could hear your cheering through the door."

"..Oh."

* * *

"This is the life!"

Sprint, glad to be free of his Knight's armor and the restrictions of Dreamland, drew in a deep breath and looked around at his surroundings with shining red eyes. He had been in Dreamland so long he had forgotten how beautiful the rest of the world could be. Vacation time was rare for the Head Knights, so he was determined to enjoy the climate and time off to the best of his ability. Here, in the warm tropics of the Hamarin Islands, he was absorbing the sun and the surf with his favorite ham – and girlham – Siren. He couldn't imagine a more perfect scenario.

"You can say that again!" Siren smiled cheekily at his side, their paws intertwined. The temperature was a pleasant seventy degrees – a sharp contrast from the menacing cold of Oak Tree Park – and the soft sand felt good beneath their feet.

The jovial hamgirl looked around the beach with shimmering eyes. Several other hams of all ages were frolicking about in the sand, and a few had ventured in the shallow water (which was roped off for their protection) to splash and play as the golden sun shone gently down on them. Excited, she squeezed Sprint's paw in hers.

"This is so beautiful, Sprint! I can't thank you enough for inviting me here!"

Sprint blushed. "Well, we don't get to spend a lot of time together…so I thought this would be the perfect vacation for the both of us! A time to unwind!"

The pair located an open spot on the warm sand and spread out their towels. A couple of hamgirls walked by, giggling, and eyed the handsome Dreamland Knight with interest. Siren, her keen ears alert, picked up on their conversation as they chatted in hushed tones.

"Look at that hamguy! He's so cute…"

"And those scars are to die for! He must be really heroic. How dreamy!"

"I know! Too bad he's with that hamgirl…she looks too young for him."

"Yeah….they're probably together, too. What a bummer – he could probably do a lot better."

"Definitely. Oh well, all the cute ones are usually taken…"

Shortly, they were out of Siren's hearing range. However, the damage had been done. The young hamgirl felt her cheeks flaming with anger as their harsh words resonated in her head. How dare those girls judge her relationship on such a superficial level!

"How rude…" She murmured under her breath as she adjusted her side-ponytail – a style she had adopted after Sprint had casually remarked that he liked her fur that way. "I may be young, but I know what my feelings are!"

"Hm? You say something, Siren?" Sprint asked, glancing over at her as he opened up a parasol to shade them from the harmful sunbeams. He had obviously missed the entire ordeal, in typical manly fashion.

Siren plastered on a big grin to mask her anger over the snarky remarks. "Oh, I was just saying that today is a beautiful day, and I'm glad we're here to enjoy it!"

Sprint smiled widely in return. "How about we relax for a little, and then hit the water, hm?"

"Sounds good to me!"

The pair settled down on their respective blankets under the tropical sun, partially protected by a parasol. Her eyes closed, Siren allowed the peaceful sound of the ocean waves and the gentle pull of the summery breeze to lull her to sleep. Sprint, however, was wide awake. Cheeks tinted pink, he glanced over at his girlham. She looked so peaceful, asleep on her grey-checkered towel, a small, content smile on her face.

Sprint sighed. He enjoyed spending time with Siren – and even though they had only been involved for a short while, he knew his feelings for her ran deeper than he could express to her at this point. He wanted to be around her all the time – but with her position as the Guardian Host and his as a Dreamland Knight, opportunities were limited for them to be together. But he hated to think that he would have to settle for sparse visits due to the rigorous demands of their careers.

Watching as the puffy white clouds drifted lazily across the sky, Sprint tried to relax. He knew he couldn't leave Dreamland – the only place he had to go back to was the Dark Lands, and even though his brother, Spyke, was on the road to redemption, he couldn't bring Siren around her former nemesis. And he knew Siren was reluctant to leave her newfound home in Oak Tree Park, with all of her hammos…but he rather wished she would relocate to Dreamland, where she could live with him, her brother, her sister-in-paw, and her new niece and nephew, Selena and Oberon.

Of course….communicating this to Siren would not be easy. And he didn't know how to go about bringing it up, though he had pegged this vacation as the time to do so. Perhaps he would bring it up over dinner….or maybe a moonlight stroll on the beach….

"Hey, Sprint?"

After ten minutes of thinking, Sprint snapped back to reality at the sound of Siren's voice. Cheeks tinged pink, he sat upright and asked, "Yeah? What's up, Siren?"

"Thanks for inviting me here. I'm really glad we had this opportunity for a vacation."

Sprint smiled. For now, he would let his worries drift away with the calming breeze, and just enjoy the time he had to spend with her. He would time it out perfectly, and ask her when he was sure she would at least consider the offer.

"It's my pleasure, Siren. I'm glad we're here too."

But, of course, they had yet to sense the storm brewing, hundreds of miles away, in the depths of that dark forest, where the beast growled, the ghost ham prowled, and the hooded sorceress waited to make her next move.

* * *

"Maka, it's _not_ hard. Just stand here and blow the owl whistle three times if you see someone coming. You got the easiest job – it's Danzar and I that have to do all the manual labor."

Maka thought that was easy for Kiri to say – she would have Danzar with her on this mission, and Danzar was scarier than an entire village of Hamoux warriors. But he held back his tongue, and stood, quivering, by the entrance to the Hamoux village. Two guards lay unconscious by the entrance gates, having been pummeled into silent submission by Danzar's brutish fists. They knew other Hamoux warriors were out patrolling the perimeter of their village, and might wonder what happened to their friends, hence why Maka was supposed to be on lookout, perched up on the ramparts.

He didn't have to do any of the actual hamnapping, for which he was extremely grateful. But that didn't stop his paws from shaking so hard he had trouble holding on to the owl whistle he had been entrusted with.

"W-what ever you say, Kiri."

In his opinion, Kiri was a terrible commander, and he loathed having to work with her. But that was mainly because she always took all the credit for whatever happened on the mission, eager to please Mezra and trample anyone else in her path toward being second in command. It wasn't that Maka really did much, but he had lent a paw once or twice – on the missions that didn't scare him out of his fur. It was usually Danzar who did all of the work, but the tall, scarred ham either didn't care that Kiri took the credit, or couldn't communicate to Mezra that it was he who carried out her wishes in full. As far as Maka knew, Danzar had never spoken to anyone – not even their mistress. And he was okay with that – a hamster with a vicious and twisted appearance like Danzar's would probably have a snarling voice to match.

"Alright. Remember your mission. Danzar – let's go. We must get three targets – young, in good health, with glossy fur, and strong-looking. Preferably male. Let's move."

Maka watched as the surprisingly quiet, but hulking form of Danzar and Kiri's lithe shape melted into the shadows of the night. Trying to push his fears aside, he scurried up to stand on top of the village ramparts, right at the entrance gates, the unconscious guards slumbering below. All was silent – not a single rustle in the bushes could be heard in the black underbrush surrounding the sleeping village. He could see a bit as some small patches of moonlight filtered in through the dense canopies, but nothing menacing was lurking as far as he could tell. Not a single Hamoux warrior was in sight. He was rather glad for that, as the Hamoux had a reputation for being merciless in battle…

Minutes passed, still and quiet. He wondered if Kiri and Danzar were almost done…

And then, he saw them.

Two bulky guards, their faces painted with the green and orange paint of the Hamoux, stepped into view from the tree line, obviously on patrol. One of them glanced at the entrance gates, looking for their companions – only to see them both knocked out and propped against the wall. Maka felt the fur on his neck stand up. "Oh no…" He whispered under his breath, clutching the ramparts tighter with trembling paws.

"Kaj? Varyk!" He called to them, then turned wide-eyed to his companion, who also sighted the fallen gate watchers. "Look, Bari, they've been knocked out! There must be intruders in the village!"

"Quick, Fenn! We must tell the oth - "

Before the hamster could finish his sentence, Maka raised the owl whistle to his mouth and blew, hard, three times in succession. The sound of the owl call sailed through the air, startling the two Hamoux warriors and distracting them for a moment, as they whirled around, looking up for any sign of an owl near the treetops. Maka prayed that they wouldn't spot him, his eyes wide with terror, quaking like a leaf atop his lookout perch.

And then, Maka heard voices and pawsteps, approaching fast from inside the village. He looked toward the dark huts, and saw Kiri sprinting, leading a bounding Danzar, who had a net full of something moving thrown across his broad shoulders, toward the gates, where the Hamoux warriors, Fenn and Bari, stood, still looking around for the 'owl' they had heard. It took them a split second to notice that the skies were empty and they had been duped, right as Kiri barreled by them, knocking into Fenn and causing him to twirl around and fall, dizzy, into the nearby bushes. Danzar followed Kiri, and although he was swift for a hamster of his size, Bari managed to latch onto him and sink sharp teeth into his side.

Danzar froze in his tracks, not making a sound, even with Bari hanging from his side like a parasite. Upon closer inspection, Maka realized that the net Danzar had slung over his shoulder contained the bodies of three struggling young Hamoux hamsters, their paws tied and mouths gagged, eyes darting around in terror. Danzar, ice blue eyes catching the scant moonlight, slowly turned his attention onto Bari, who, even as he sunk his teeth in further, seemed to be seriously regretting his decision to bite his enemy.

Freeing one of his paws, and holding up the net with only one paw, Danzar grabbed Bari by the scruff of his neck and removed the Hamoux guard from his side. Blood dripped from the wound and stained his grey fur a dark crimson, but still he made no sound – his face remained stonily vacant. Bari let out a yell as Danzar reached his paw back, as if winding up to throw a ball, and with super-hamster strength he flung Bari away, inside the village gates. Maka watched in horrified amazement as Bari, screaming as he sailed like a comet through the sky, landed several feet away, on the roof of a village hut, where he lay, obviously in pain from the rough landing. Maka's jaw fell open.

Danzar wasn't much of a talker, but he had one heke of an arm.

The massive hamster, not relishing in his victory or stopping to inspect his wound, shot a glance up at Maka, as if to signal him to come along. On silent paws, he kept the net slung casually over his shoulder and dashed, nimble as a feather, into the forest.

Maka, still stunned, absorbed what he had seen for a moment, and then scampered off the rampart and followed after his companions. "W-wait for me!" He hissed into the darkness, not wanting to be left alone in case the Hamoux guards started to chase after them.

Though, after witnessing the brute strength of the silent, mysterious warrior Danzar, Maka wasn't sure any of them wouldn't have enough courage to follow in pursuit, even if they summoned the entire Hamoux army to take him on. It was no wonder that Mezra basically let him alone, unless he was summoned for missions.

And it really made him wonder if the terrible scars, contorting Danzar's face into the twisted snarl of a feral ham, were not just a result of misfortune, but battle scars. Not that he would ever find out – it didn't seem as though Danzar would be opening his mouth to tell his back story any time soon. He only opened his mouth to eat.

For what seemed like miles, they bolted through the underbrush – Kiri in the lead, followed by Danzar, who had swiftly caught up, and flanked by a panting Maka, who had to push his paws to the limit in order to close the distance between him and Danzar, whose strides were considerably longer than his. When Maka felt as though he would topple over from exhaustion, the abandoned temple, which had come to be known as their official headquarters, came into view through the dark leaves and branches.

Mezra had been waiting for them in the temple – Sage was nowhere to be seen, but Maka assumed he was perched atop the temple brooding, where he spent most nights, unless he was in the company of Mezra. Kiri proudly traipsed up the stairs first, announcing, her eyes glinting, "Mistress, the mission was a success! We have three new subjects for you, all of the highest quality!"

A smug smirk decorated her face, as she entered the temple, followed shortly by Danzar, who set the net with the trapped hamsters down on the cold floor in front of Mezra. The hooded female ham glared coolly down and the kidnapped Hamoux hamsters, who were staring back at her in horror, pleading with their eyes for her to let them go.

Her grin widened. Shivers flit up Maka's spine at the sight of Mezra's smirk.

"Excellent work, Kiri. I have a feeling that these subjects will prove to be quite…_useful_."

* * *

Reviews are appreciated!

A/N: While googling 'How long do hamsters carry babies?' I found a variety of different answers….apparently, it only takes like 3 weeks. Hence why Screech and Fury had babies already, since they were expecting at the end of the summer.


	5. Notice

**I know I said I would finish this, and I'm very sorry I didn't. I'm extremely disappointed in myself. **

**At this point, I think it will be impossible for me to finish this. For various reasons. **

**I've loved writing in the Hamtaro section, and I was glad to be a writer here for as long as I was. **

**But I won't be writing Fanfiction anymore. I will leave my stories up, though. **

**Thank you, to all of you who read my stories - it means so much! :) You've made writing on this site worth it. **

**-CFB**


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